Two major steel public sector enterprises, SAIL and RINL, are making sound progress in their ongoing modernisation and expansion projects.
Steel Authority of India Ltd is modernising and expanding its five integrated steel plants at Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), Bokaro (Jharkhand), Rourkela (Odisha), and Durgapur and Burnpur (West Bengal) as well as its special steel plant at Salem (Tamil Nadu) to enhance crude steel production capacity from 12.8 million tpa to 21.4 million tpa.
The estimated investment for the ongoing phase of modernisation and expansion is Rs. 61,870 crore. Besides, a provision of Rs. 10,264 crore has been made towards investment in existing mines under raw materials division and development of Rowghat Mine.
The current status of the projects at the various steel plants is as under:
- At Bhilai Steel Plant, some of the facilities like ore handling plant (Part-A), upgradation of plate mill and new compressed air station have been completed.
- At Bokaro Steel Plant, acid regeneration plant, coil packaging lines, skin pass mill, compressed air station and power supply facilities required for new CRM have been completed. The integrated trial run for pickling line and cold tandem mill was done in July 2013.
- At Rourkela Steel Plant, India’s largest new blast furnace, i.e. high volume 4060 cum has been blown-in. In addition, ore bedding and blending plant, COB-6 complex including coal handling plant, coke dry cooling plant and coal chemicals departmen, sinter plant-3 and continuous caster have also been completed. Power and blowing station are over.
- At Durgapur Steel Plant, rebuilding of coke oven battery-2 is at an advanced stage of completion.
- Expansion of Salem Steel Plant was completed in September 2010 and is under regular operation.
- At IISCO Steel Plant, coke oven battery, sinter plant and wire rod mill have been completed. Power and blowing station are complete. Coke and sinter is being despatched to sister plants. Facilities like blast furnace and oxygen plant are ready for commissioning.
The current phase of modernisation and expansion plan is likely to be completed by 2014.
RINL
Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (Vizag Steel) is currently implementing an expansion project costing around Rs. 12,300 crore for doubling its capacity to 6.3 million tpa of liquid steel.
- Production of hot metal from the new blast furnace has commenced and has already produced over 1.6 million tonnes of hot metal.
- On October 30, 2013, first heat from the new steelmaking shop was successfully taken marking the completion of phase-I of 6.3-million tpa expansion barring finishing area of WRM which is scheduled for completion in December 2013.
- Two other mills under phase-II are planned to be commissioned progressively in Q4 of 2013-14.
RINL has already spent over Rs. 10,600 crore till November 2013 under the project and the balance amount mainly pertains to last milestone payments and progress payments. Besides, RINL is also investing around Rs. 4,000 crore on modernising and upgrading its existing facilities.