RSP’s Rs.12000 crore modernisation nearing completion

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar: Chairman of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) C.S.Verma witnessed the operationalisation of two new major modernisation units of Rourkela Steel Plant namely the new Basic Oxygen Furnace Converter in Steel Melting Shop-II and the rolling facilities in the New Plate Mill.He was accompanied by S.S.Mohanty, Director (Technical), T.S.Suresh, Director (Projects and Business Planning), G.S.Prasad, CEO, RSP and other senior officials.With commencement of production in this new 150T BOF and 1.0 MTPA Plate Mill, all the major facilities under the modernisation and expansion program at RSP have been operationalised, according to an official release issued on Friday.The entire integrated process route comprising the new Ore Bedding & Blending Plant, 360 sq.m.Sinter Plant, 7 m tall Coke Oven Battery, 4060 m3 Blast Furnace, 150T BOF, 2500 mm Slab Caster and the new Plate Mill involving an investment of around Rs.12000 crore are operational at RSP.The capacity of the plant has now increased from 2.0 Mtpa hot metal and 1.9 Mtpa crude steel to 4.5 Mtpa hot metal and 4.3 Mtpa crude steel respectively, the RSP release said.Speaking on the occasion Verma said that “commencement of operation of these two major units at RSP is a shot in the arm of the company towards completion of its ongoing modernisation and expansion plan.“We have ambitious plans for RSP’s further expansion to 10.8 Mtpa as part of SAIL’s vision to attain a capacity of 50 Mtpa hot metal by 2025.” Some of the schemes under this future expansion plan such as the 3.0 Mtpa Hot Strip Mill and the Beneficiation and Pelletisation plant have already been tendered out.SAIL Chairman urged the Rourkela collective to quickly stabilise the new facilities and ramp up production to the rated capacities at the earliest.