Lead is mainly used in electrical cables, storage batteries, die casting, glass making, calico dyeing, printing, sanitary fittings, rubber and ammunition. It also forms alloy with antimony and tin.
Producing Units
1. The Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL),
A public sector undertaking, incorporated in 1966 is the principal lead smelting company in the country. Headquartered at Udaipur its operations are spread over in the states of Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Orissa consisting of five mines with a total lead ore production capacity of 65,000 TPA. Its total production of lead metal during 1997-98 was 35,766 tones. Its smelting units are as follows:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
(a) HZL, Tundoo (near Dhanbad in Jharkhand)
It was set up by the Metal Corporation of Indian 1942-43 (taken over by HZL in 1965). The plant has a rated capacity of 8,000 tons of lead ingot annually. It is main based on the ore supply from Zawar mines. Recently new mines at Rajpur Dariba (Rajasthan) have also been attached to the plant.
(b) HZL, Vishakhapatnam:-this plant with a rated capacity of 10,000/ year utilises the ore from abroad and Agnigunala (Andhra Pradesh) mines.
(c) HZL, Chanderiya:-this lead-zinc complex has been built up in 1991 under the British aid with total rated capacity of 35,000 tons of lead annually.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
2. Indian Lead Ltd. (ILL)
This is a new plant with a rated capacity of 24,000 tons of lead per annum. The plant is based on lead scrap and concentrates.
Production
The indigenous production of lead concentrates was only 3,665 tons in 1960-61 which increased to 59,132 tons in 2002-03 exhibiting about 16 times increase during the last 42 years.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
India: Trends in Lead Concentrates Production (‘000 tones)
The present smelting capacity for lead is 89,000 tons a year, but the output of secondary metals recycled from the scraps, residues and dross is fairly substantial though no official estimates are available. With the consumption of these metals rising steadily, their demand is expected to grow at the rate of 5-7 per cent during the Ninth Plan period. The consumption of lead in India rose from 24,000 tons in 1960-61 to 78,000 tons in 1991-92 and 100,000 tones in 1996-97. It is expected to reach 1, 20,200 tones in 2001-02 and 2, 70,700 tones in 2011-12.
Imports
There is large deficit between the demand and indigenous production of lead in the country. Hence, a substantial quantity of lead is imported from aboard. Efforts are being made to reach self-sufficiency through the utilization of recycled metal.