[SMM Iron & Steel] NMDC Awards $317 Million Contract to RVNL for 10 MTPA Iron Ore Blending Facility
Indian state-owned miner NMDC Limited has awarded a $317 million (Rs 2,977 crore) contract to Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) to construct an iron ore buffer stockyard and blending facility at the Visakhapatnam port. The facility features a designed material handling capacity of 10 million metric tons per annum (MTPA) and is scheduled to be completed and commissioned within 42 months. Strategically, this project will enable NMDC to pioneer India's first branded, fixed-specification blended iron ore, which is expected to command a market premium by substantially improving blast furnace efficiency for steelmakers. This infrastructure upgrade is a vital step in NMDC's broader expansion roadmap, supporting the company's target to nearly double its total iron ore mining capacity from a record 53.15 million mt in FY2026 to 100 million mt by 2030, thereby reinforcing both domestic and global supply chain stability.