In the interest of mineral conservation, Tata Steel has raised its beneficiation capacity from its 1990 nameplate capacity of 1.08 Lakh Tonnes per Annum (LTPA) to 4 LTPA. This has been achieved through number of measures such as:

1. Three shift operation as against nameplate capacity based on single shift platform.
2. Enhanced plant availability due to introduction of modern maintenance practices.
3. Capital investment by way of installation of additional beneficiation circuits like hydro-cyclone and spirals, feed circuit modernization and addition of other balancing equipment.
4. Development of bedding and blending yard for ensuring availability of desired feed material round the clock throughout the year has also enabled the plant to increase the operating hours substantially.

Tata Steel has plans to further increase its capacity to 7 LTPA with an additional investment, in view of the inadequate capacity in the country to process the real generation of low grade chromite, which arises in the course of mining and goes into stock-pile.

Chrome concentrate is used in ferrochrome/stainless steel production and is a value added product, produced through beneficiation of low grade chrome ore (25 - 40% Cr2O3) that is not directly saleable.

The National Mineral Policy of 1983, Clause 7.1.4 defines conservation of minerals as follows, "Conservation of minerals shall be construed not in the restrictive sense of abstinence form consumption or preservation for future use, but as a positive concept leading to augmentation of resource base through improvement in mining methods, beneficiation and utilization of low grade ore and rejects, recovery of associated minerals, reduction in the requirements of minerals per unit of material output etc."

The new facilities are expected to be commissioned by the end of the year. With the commissioning of the additional capacity, the capacity for production of chrome concentrate in the country will surpass the 1 million tonnes per annum mark. Present production / exports is around 0.7 million tonnes per annum.

It is noteworthy that chrome concentrate is not traded in the domestic market, as Indian ferrochrome producers do not prefer it. All the concentrate produced is exported to China, Japan, South Africa and Europe and Tata Steel's chrome concentrate is the only such product from India, which is accepted by quality-conscious Japanese customers whose specifications are very stringent.

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