JSPL's pellet plant adds 15 extra days of operation with VPA filters

Driven by the country's fast-expanding economy, large infrastructure investments and thriving construction industry, India's domestic steel demand is expected to grow by more than 7 percent annually, until 2020.

Jindal Steel and Power Ltd. (JSPL), one of India's largest steel producers, is well positioned to profit from the surge and is primed for rapid growth in its home market. To meet the increasing demand, steelmakers like JSPL are looking for partners to complement their strengths and provide world class equipment which delivers results par excellence.

Huge steel demand in India

New Delhi based JSPL is poised to fulfill the huge steel demand in the country and has established itself as one of the leading players in the industry. With their two pellet plants, each having a capacity of 4.5 MTPA (million tonnes per annum), JSPL is supplying quality pellets and has established a niche for itself in the industry.

Located in the hills of Barbil, in the state of Odisha, JSPL's 9 MTPA (4.5 million tonnes each) pelletizing complex is India's largest pellet production facility and biggest pellet exporter. As one of its growth initiatives the company wanted to improve the availability and efficiency of its iron ore pellet plants, which provide the raw material for its steel mills across the country and even outside India.

To meet the desired quality parameters and continuous operations, running the facility at its optimum level with high availability was essential to JSPL. Metso delivered JSPL the first of Barbil's two pellet plants in 2009. It was set up with a 4.5 MTPA dry grinding circuit. When JSPL decided to ramp up its pellet production with a second unit, Metso offered its partner a solution with lower operating cost and increased availability.

95% plant availability with life cycle services

To lower energy consumption and to increase plant availability, JSPL decided to install a wet grinding circuit with filtration for its second pellet plant. Wet grinding uses water, which must be removed from the iron ore slurry with filters, before the iron ore is pelletized.

Metso's Vertical Plate Pressure Filters (VPA) are heavy duty machines, developed for filtration of metallic and industrial minerals. They offer customers a high degree of automation for efficient energy consumption. Metso provided JSPL with 8 VPA filters and all running at optimum levels, delivering material having 9 to 9.5% moisture, which is considered good for the green ball preparation.

To improve the process further, JSPL awarded Metso a 3-year Life Cycle Service (LCS) contract for the operation and maintenance of the VPA filters which has been renewed every year post the completion of the initial 3 year contract. With LCS, JSPL was assured of enhanced availability, higher production and predictive & preventive maintenance to enhance machine life. The VPA's are performing as per JSPL's expectations and are providing significant cost benefits also. Under the LCS contract, JSPL and Metso agreed on a clear target i.e. consistent VPA filters availability of more than 90%, which has been delivered ever since.

"We chose an LCS contract from Metso because of their expertise in this field. They also have very good R&D facilities and we get support whenever we face any problem. That is the best advantage. We have 8 filters operating in our plants and the availability of these filters are 95%. They are well maintained, very clean, neat and specially the quality of the product is very good compared to any other filters", said Suresha G, EVP and Business Unit Head of the JSPL's Barbil facility.

"We are able to maintain plant availability to plus 93-95%, which itself is a very good record in the industry. The credit for this doesn't go to Metso alone, as credit must also be given to JSPL and their operations", said CM. Purohit, Vice President for Mining Sales at Metso India.

Watch a video and read the whole story on metso.com: JSPL achieves 95% VPA filter availability and gains 15 extra days of plant operation