According to predictions, within a span of 50 years, SAIL will be requiring around 5.7 billion tonnes of iron ore. It has started scouring for new iron ore mines which will enable it to meet its future demands

A steel ministry official has said that the steel major has applied for licenses in various areas of Jharkhand like Karampada, Ankua and Ghatkuri for the same. The company’s existing mines in Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, including Chiria, can supply only 3.4 billion tonnes of iron ore, newspapers reported.

Out of the total requirement, in Jharkhand alone the company will require around 3,164 million tonnes (mt) of ore, including 1,600 mt for raising the capacity of Bokaro Steel Plant, 454 mt for enhancing the production of Indian Iron and Steel Company’s (IISCO) plant and 1,110 mt for the proposed 12 mt greenfield project in the state.

Rubbishing the Jharkhand government’s claim that SAIL would not need entire three billion tonnes of iron ore from Chiria, the official said that if SAIL is forced to lose a part of the Chiria mines, then the major greenfield and brownfield expansion plans of the company could be jeopardised.