Tata Steel said that its Jharia division has commissioned a two million tonnes per annum (mtpa) coal preparation plant at the Jamadoba Colliery in Jorapokhar, Jharkhand.

The steelmaking company said that a 400 kilovolt-ampere (kVA) uninterrupted power supply (UPS) at the mine’s main mechanical ventilator was also installed.

The commissioning of the new facilities is in line with its mechanization and modernization program, said Tata Steel.

D B Sundara Ramam – Vice President (Raw Materials), Tata Steel said: “Introduction of appropriate technology is key to the success of underground mining. At Tata Steel, we leverage our innovation capabilities, technology leadership with focus on safety and sustainability to create long-term value.

“State-of-the-art beneficiation plant not only addresses issues like productivity, safety and environment but at the same time ensures production of coal at a competitive price.”

According to Tata Steel, the coal preparation plant at the Jamadoba Colliery was previously the oldest running washery in Asia, which was operating since 1952, which was transformed into a modern washery.

The steel manufacturer said that the washery is a significant upgradation from the traditional set-up that packs Dense Media Cyclone circuit for coarse, intermediate circuit for reflux classifier and flotation for fines circuit to boost production efficiency.

Tata Steel said that it is also the first washery in India with a 100% dewatering facility integrated into the plant, thereby fully removing the need for tailing pond, dry fog systems, and auto sprinklers.

On the other hand, the newly installed giant UPS at the Jamadoba Colliery gives an uninterrupted power supply to the 450 horsepower mine fan and changes automatically over during power failure from DVC and keeps it operating for 40 minutes, which is sufficient time for power restoration or change-over to captive supply.

The huge battery back-up UPS is the first-of-its-kind in India for any mine ventilation fan, said Tata Steel. The steelmaker said that the set-up will boost the safety and ergonomics within the mines apart from giving the miners a more comfortable environment to work.

  D B Sundara Ramam, India, Jamadoba Colliery, Jharkhand, Jorapokhar, Tata Steel