Primetals Technologies Expands JSW Steel Partnership With Major Karnataka, Odisha Projects

Primetals Technologies is deepening its technology partnership with JSW Steel through two major projects in India, spanning steelmaking and iron ore pellet production.

The company has commissioned a new steelmaking complex at JSW Vijayanagar Metallic Limited’s plant in Toranagallu, Karnataka. The project includes a new melt shop, two continuous slab casters and supporting automation systems.

The Toranagallu facility comprises two 350-ton LD converters, primary and secondary dedusting systems, two 350-ton ladle furnaces and two two-strand continuous casters. Primetals Technologies has also supplied Level 1 and Level 2 automation for the converters, ladle furnaces and casters.

The first converter began operations in December 2024 and crossed 20 heats a day within its commissioning month. It completed more than 400 heats during its first month, while its initial lining campaign exceeded 6,000 heats. The second converter was commissioned in August 2025 and reached more than 20 heats per day within six days.

A notable feature of the project is the installation of Primetals Technologies’ advanced primary dry dedusting system with a 350-ton converter in India for the first time. The system combines steam-based heat recovery, a dry electrostatic precipitator and axial-type induced-draft fans, helping improve energy efficiency while reducing water consumption.

The automation systems are designed to improve process control and productivity. The BOF Optimizer supports tighter control of carbon content and steel temperature, while the Lomas off-gas analysis system enables automatic blow-end control. At the ladle furnaces, the Melt Expert electrode control system is intended to improve productivity and reduce energy use.

The two continuous casters can produce slabs between 900 mm and 1,650 mm wide and 220 mm or 260 mm thick. They are capable of processing several steel grades, including structural, high-strength low-alloy, microalloyed and high-silicon electrical steels.

The partnership is also expanding into pellet production. JSW Steel has placed an order with Primetals Technologies for two pelletizing plants at its Paradeep facility in Odisha, each with a capacity of 8 Million Tonnes Per Annum. Together, the plants will add 16 Million Tonnes Per Annum of pellet production capacity.

Primetals Technologies will provide plant design, engineering, key process equipment, automation and advisory services for the Paradeep projects. The facilities will use an 816-square-metre induration furnace design, which can also serve as a standardised model for future expansion at Paradeep and other JSW Steel locations.

The companies are also working on improving pellet quality, production capacity and environmental performance through smart sensors, predictive control models and digital process optimisation.

For JSW Steel, the projects represent an expansion of production capabilities across both steelmaking and raw material processing. For Primetals Technologies, the orders reinforce its position as a technology partner to one of India’s largest steel producers, with a focus increasingly extending beyond individual equipment supplies to integrated production and digital solutions.