Concrete

Looking at Good Times

Published

5 years ago

January 10, 2020

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Underground mining in India is majorly done in minerals mining of copper, zinc, gold etc as these minerals are found deep under the earth. According to reports, zinc and copper outputs have grown in the past couple of years and the outlook remains good. There are also underground coal mines belonging to Coal India, however, the output is very low compared to surface or open-pit mines. However, new opportunities are evolving as the coal reserves in the upper layer are depleting and the mines are going deeper.

Current scenario
Recent reports indicate that Coal India was planning to outsource its underground mine development and operations. Coal India subsidiary, Central Mine Planning & Design Institute (CMPDIL), will soon invite tenders for appointing such operators for two new underground mines that aim to produce at least 5 million tonnes a year each. Coal India has firmed up plans to offer underground coal blocks to global mine developer and operators (MDOs) to extract coal efficiently and profitably. Currently, Coal India uses MDOs for open cast but underground mines are run by its own workforce. The Central Government’s recent policy initiatives in mining, involving more private participation in commercial coal mining has put the public sector miner Coal India on fast track to make its mining process productive and efficient. These developments are expected to drive demand for underground mining technologies and equipment in the coming years.

Since underground mining is done deep inside the earth, it is involved with risk and economics. According to Shib Bhowmik, Managing Director, Komatsu Mining Corp, India, the choice and selection of underground mining is essentially a question of economics and other obstacles. If certain mineral deposits are situated at a certain depth/location then underground mining is the only choice. As far as the risk involved, he adds, "Underground mining involves different and increased geological risks, mining risks, working in constrained area, challenges in ventilation, adequate light, transportation of men and materials etc."

Equipment and technologies
Major equipment for underground mining are continuous miners, shuttle cars, feeder breakers and roof bolting equipment, jumbo drills, loaders, trucks, electric/battery haul loaders and trucks, digging arm loaders, etc. According to Bhowmik, for underground coal mining, continuous miner technology has proved to be flexible, productive and more suitable for Indian conditions. Typically for CM technology – continuous miner, shuttle cars/battery haulers, roof bolters and feeder breaker are used.

Monitoring and control technologies help in mitigating the risk involved in underground mining. Epiroc Mining in association with Mobilaris Mining & Civil Engineering has introduced Mobilaris Mining Intelligence product portfolio that takes digitalisation of mining operations to the next level. Hindustan Zinc has partnered up with Mobilaris Mining & Civil Engineering and Epiroc to digitalise the Rampura Agucha mine, their flagship of mining operations.

Looking ahead
As mentioned earlier, mining activities are expected to go to the next level in the coming years with the relaxation in the overall processes and approvals in mining policies. The involvement of more private players in mining can open up the entire mining practices and involve more technologies especially to improve the efficiency and productivity. This can also bring down pollution level that is a major issue in mining. Going forward, underground mining will definitely gain momentum with more underground coal mines and adoption of new equipment and technologies.

Concrete

Dalmia Bharat’s Q3 FY25 Net Profit Plunges by 75.19%

The company’s net consolidated total income dropped by 12.17% to Rs 32.18 billion in Q3 FY25.

Published

15 hours ago

January 23, 2025

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Dalmia Bharat, a leading cement manufacturing company, reported a sharp decline of 75.19 per cent in its net consolidated profit for the quarter ending December 31, 2025. The company disclosed in a BSE filing that its profit after tax stood at Rs 660 million in Q3 FY25, compared to Rs 2.66 billion in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year.

The company’s net consolidated total income dropped by 12.17 per cent to Rs 32.18 billion in Q3 FY25, down from Rs 36.64 billion in the corresponding quarter last year.

According to Puneet Dalmia, the managing director and CEO, India experienced a slightly slower start to the year following multiple years of high growth. He assured that the company’s capacity expansion plans were progressing as expected, with a target of reaching 49.5 million tonnes (MnT) by the end of the fiscal year.

Chief Financial Officer Dharmender Tuteja highlighted that cement demand growth in Q3 fell short of earlier expectations. He noted that the company’s volumes declined by 2 per cent year-on-year, while EBITDA fell by 34.5 per cent year-on-year to Rs 5.11 billion, primarily due to continued softness in cement prices. However, he expressed optimism for the coming quarters, citing improving demand and signs of a positive trend in prices.

During the quarter, the company completed debottlenecking projects at its facilities in Rajgangpur, Odisha (0.6 MnT), and Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh (0.3 MnT), increasing its total clinker capacity to 23.5 MnT. Additionally, it commissioned a 4 MW captive solar power plant in Medinipur, West Bengal, and 46 MW renewable energy capacity under Group Captive, bringing its total operational renewable energy capacity to 252 MW.

Concrete

Gadchiroli Added to JSW’s List in Maharashtra’s Steel City Plan

A significant portion of this investment is likely to be concentrated in Nagpur and Gadchiroli.

Published

1 day ago

January 22, 2025

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On the first day of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos, the state government signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth over Rs 3.35 trillion for industrial investments in Vidarbha. By 8:30 pm (Indian time), the largest deal was secured with JSW Group, involving investment proposals worth Rs 3 trillion, which are expected to create 10,000 jobs. A significant portion of this investment is likely to be concentrated in Nagpur and Gadchiroli.

The Pune-based Kalyani Group, with interests in the defence and steel sectors, also signed an MoU for an investment proposal in Gadchiroli. According to a source from the state’s industries department, there is a possibility that the company will establish a defence production unit there.

Concrete

Q3 Preview: UltraTech Cement Set for 26% Drop in PAT

The company’s profit after tax is estimated at Rs 13.04 billion for the third quarter of FY25.

Published

1 day ago

January 22, 2025

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UltraTech Cement is expected to report a 26 per cent decline in net profit year-on-year (Y-o-Y) for the quarter ending December 31, primarily due to lower realisations and higher depreciation, according to analysts. The company’s profit after tax is estimated at Rs 13.04 billion for the third quarter of FY25.

A survey conducted among five brokerages revealed that UltraTech Cement is projected to achieve a revenue of Rs 166.96 billion, reflecting a 1.2 per cent increase Y-o-Y.

Among the brokerages surveyed, Axis Securities presented the most optimistic projections, while B&K Securities predicted the slowest growth in both revenue and profit after tax (PAT) for the company.

According to Yes Securities, the company’s volumes are anticipated to grow by 9 per cent Y-o-Y to reach 29.76 million tons per annum. The growth in volumes is attributed to strong demand from institutional players and continued momentum in the housing sector.

Analysts noted that after weak demand growth of around 1-2 per cent in H1FY25, industry cement demand improved in Q3FY25. However, Motilal Oswal Financial Services, in its quarterly update, pointed out regional challenges, including pollution-related curbs in Delhi-NCR, sand scarcity, and unfavourable weather conditions such as severe cold and unseasonal rains, which negatively impacted overall demand growth.

The average cost of producing one ton of cement (excluding fixed costs) is expected to decrease by 4 per cent Y-o-Y, amounting to Rs 4,761 in Q3FY25.