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Industrial Landscape
OF SOUTHERN ODISHA
IMFA Ltd.
This is an Industry based around the area of Therubali, in the Rayagada district.
IMFA
Established in 1961 in the Eastern State of Odisha known for its rich natural resources, IMFA is India’s leading fully integrated producer of value-added ferro chrome with 190 MVA installed furnace capacity backed up by 204.55 MW captive power generation capacity (including 4.55 MW solar) and extensive chrome ore mining tracts. They are unique from the quality perspective due to our comprehensive ISO 9001 Quality Management certification.
Founders.
IMFA is a world of enterprise and innovation inspired by its Founders Late Dr Bansidhar Panda and Late Mrs Ila Panda. What now stands before the world is a leading, fully integrated producer of ferro alloys stradling the value chain from mining to smelting and with plans for accelerated growth.
Self-reliance is at the core of our business philosophy. Over the years this philosophy has led us to venture into mining & power generation as well as an in-house transportation company which has now been spun off. The manufacturing cycle comprising chrome ore mining, power generation, and ferroalloys smelting are intertwined particularly given the captive status of our mines and power generation.
Ferro Alloys
A pioneer in producing silicon alloys, today our focus is on ferrochrome which imparts the non-corrosive property to stainless steel. A significant portion of our output is exported to the Far East (China, Japan & Taiwan) but we expect domestic consumption to go up sharply and are ideally positioned to cater to this demand.
Mining
Our foray into mining commenced in the 1960s when we operated several quartz mines to cater to the raw material requirement of our silicon alloy production. The focus has now shifted to chrome ore mining given and the entire output is consumed in-house in line with our philosophy of value addition.
Power
While the power-intensive nature of our core business first spurred us into setting up a captive power plant, we have kept pace with the times in terms of both capacity addition as well as technology.
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ferroalloys.
Six furnaces adding up to 190 MVA have been set up at Therubali (Rayagada District) and Choudwar (Cuttack District) in Odisha thus making us the largest merchant producer of ferro chrome in India capable of producing up to 284,400 tonnes per annum. We are now working on expanding our smelting capacity to fully utilize the enhanced captive power generation capacity.
There are also many pioneering credits to our name such as being the first Company in the Indian private sector to produce ferrosilicon and the first in the Indian sub-continent to produce silicon metal and that too with indigenous technology. Today, we focus almost exclusively on ferrochrome given our competitive strength due to captive chrome ore and power generation.
mining.
Although India has less than 1% of the world’s chrome ore reserves, it is of very high quality, and most of it is found in Odisha. Starting out with a small mine that catered to only a fraction of our requirement, today we have access to 21 million tonnes of reserves. As per the MMDR Amendment Act 2015, the mining lease at Sukinda and Mahagiri are valid until 2049 & 2055 respectively with a ‘Right of First Refusal’ in the auction thereafter. The Nuasahi Mine is currently not operating but the extension is under process.
Starting with open-cast operations, we have now progressed to underground mining which is more eco-friendly and efficient. In fact, we were the first to initiate underground mining in Sukinda Valley and the first stop blasting was carried out on 14th-Jan-2016. The total output is slated to go up in phases to 1.2 million tonnes which will cater to enhanced smelting capacity in line with our business plans.
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Power
Electricity is a key element of our integrated business model. Captive power generation capacity stands at 204.55 MW comprising of a 50 MW coal-based unit, a 30 MW dual-fuel unit that operates on a mixture of coal & furnace gas, a 120 MW coal-based unit, and a 4.55 MW solar power unit. While the Power Business Unit primarily caters to captive requirements, there is some surplus that is supplied to the State Grid. It is noteworthy that our location next to a major load center helps grid stability.
low-density aggregate.
IMFA’s focus is on the efficient utilization of resources and environment-friendly operations. We have built a zero-effluent water discharge system and automated plants for manufacturing 100,000 bricks per day from fly ash & slag. We are the first in India to commission a Low-Density Aggregate (LDA) or sintered fly ash aggregate plant at Choudwar, Dist-Cuttack, Odisha with an installed capacity of 1,75,000 MT per annum in 2014.
LDA is unique among fly ash-based products with more than 90% fly ash in its composition. This is a substitute for natural coarse aggregate (stone chips) in concrete. This provides an additional advantage of lower dead weight in civil constructions.