The Steel Authority of India ltd (SAIl) has informed Chhattisgarh Government that it will not be in a position to contribute further funds to invest in proposed Ultra Mega Steel Plant (UMSP) at Dantewada and Bastar Rail Private limited in future, the Central Government has informed.
Further, SAIl has reduced its equity share from 21% to 12% in Bastar Railway Private limited, it informed.
Definitive agreements among the various parties were signed to set up the Ultra Mega Steel Plant in Bastar’s Dantewada region of Chhattisgarh, the Central government informed in December last year.
It may also be recalled that an MoU was signed between SAIl, NMDC, Union Ministry of Steel and Government of Chhattisgarh in May 2015 at Dantewada in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The process for Incorporation of the Steel SPV for Chhattisgarh had been completed, it had informed.
Notably, with the aim to develop large capacity mega steel projects in the country, which would help India in achieving the capacity growth of 300 million ones of crude steel by 2025-26, Union Ministry of Steel has evolved a concept of developing Ultra Mega Steel Plants.
On the other hand, a team of engineers and technicians running and maintaining operations of SAIl’s Bhilai Steel Plant’s Universal Rail Mill had achieved as many as four records on June 14, 2017.
The Mill recorded Rolling and NDT (non-destructive testing) of as many as 117 pieces of 130 metre long Rails.
Visual inspection of 116 pieces of 130 metre long Rails and welding of 108 rail joints recorded the same day were also all-time best figures.
Only a day earlier, on June 13, 2017, Team URM had achieved record rolling of 115 pieces of 130 metre long rails.
BSP CEO M Ravi had congratulated all members of Team URM as also all those associated with URM operations, maintenance, testing, welding etc for the achievement.
As many as ten rakes of 260 metres long rails were also despatched to different destinations from Bhilai Steel Plant’s 'Universal Rail Mill' in the month of May this year.
While one rake each were despatched to Agra Cantonment, Jhasidih, Palwal, New Cooch Bihar, Jagannathpur and Quilon, two rakes were despatched to Raigarh and Rasmada. The total tonnage despatched in the ten rakes is 8471 tonnes, a BSP press release had informed.
Rate of rolling of long rails has been progressively increasing at the Universal Rail Mill that was commissioned in January 2017, officials had informed.
The entire team of Universal Rail Mill as also members of other agencies working alongside the personnel managing operations and maintenance of the new mill are working relentlessly to ensure smooth rolling as also to increase the rolling rate, it stated.
A total of 4674 tonnes of rails was despatched in five rakes to Rupnagar, Raigarh, Mugar, Kalyan and Cannanore in April 2017 while 2635 tonnes was despatched in three rakes to Janpahad, Anuppur and Talcher in March 2017. Total despatches of 260 metre rails from URM in the three months from March to May 2017 has been 15,780 tonnes.
Notably, the world’s longest 130 metre rails rolled at the new Mill are welded at the new Rail Welding Plant adjacent to URM and loaded for despatch from the Mill’s loading complex.
The new 1.2 MTPA Universal Rail Mill would help SAIl to meet the increased demand for 260 metre rails from the Indian Railways.
Continuing to operate well above the rated capacity in all major areas of production, the Bhilai Steel Plant had concluded the financial year 2016-17 with an annual production of 5.04 Million Tonnes of Hot Metal, 4.74 Million Tonnes of Crude Steel and 4.00 Million Tonnes of Saleable Steel.
The four finishing mills of SAIl’s Bhilai Steel Plant- the Plate Mill, Rail and Structure Mill, Merchant Mill and Wire Rod Mill- have registered record-breaking and encouraging performances in production of special quality value added steel grades in financial year 2016-17.
It is worth mentioning that the Rail and Structure Mill has surpassed its ABP target of 8 lakh tonnes for the year by producing 8,11,939 tonnes of Rails till March 30, 2017.