This clearance, granted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Government of India, positions LMEL's mine to become the largest iron ore operation in the country.
With Gadchiroli emerging as a steel industry hub, LMEL's expanded mine will serve as a foundational enabler for these downstream industries.
Detailing its mining roadmap, Lloyds Metals stated that in the initial years, the company will mine 26 MTPA of Hematite (direct sales ore). The subsequent ramp-up to 55 MTPA capacity will include 45 MT BHQ (banded hematite quartzite). Gradually, as beneficiation plants become operational, LMEL will replace Hematite DSO (direct shipping ore) with beneficiated ore.
Regarding beneficiation, the company is establishing one of the world’s largest iron ore beneficiation facilities in Hedri. A pilot plant of 5 TPH (tonnes per hour) is already operational, achieving desired results with more than 66% Fe and a yield exceeding 35%.
Based on these outcomes, the company is proceeding with the detailed engineering of the beneficiation complex. The concentrate produced post-beneficiation will be world-class pellet and sinter-feed material.
The effective date of commencement of operations for enhanced capacity would be after receipt of consent to operate (CTO), from Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) which has been applied for and shall be received shortly.
Balasubramanian Prabhakaran, managing director, said: "This milestone is a testament to the unwavering support of the local communities and the government's confidence in Lloyds Metals' capabilities.
This clearance paves the way for us to create long-term value for all our stakeholders while contributing meaningfully to regional development."
Lloyds Metals and Energy (LMEL) is engaged in the iron ore mining at Surjagarh village, Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra, and manufacturing of sponge iron. The company’s sponge iron plant is in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra with an installed capacity of 340,000 MTPA along with a 34MW captive power plant.
On a consolidated basis, net profit of Lloyds Metals & Energy declined 27.10% to Rs 201.88 crore while net sales declined 23.49% to Rs 1182.66 crore in Q4 March 2025 over Q4 March 2024.
The scrip rose 0.25% to currently trade at Rs 1526.65 on the BSE.