The Steel Authority of India ltd (SAIl) is planning to make value-added products from its new rail mill at the Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP), officials informed.
As many as ten rakes of 260 metre long rails were dispatched to different destinations from Bhilai Steel Plant’s Universal Rail Mill in the month of May 2017.
While one rake each were dispatched to Agra Cant, Jhasidih, Palwal, New Cooch Bihar, Jagannathpur and Quilon, two rakes were dispatched to Raigarh and Rasmada. The total tonnage dispatched in the ten rakes is 8471 Tonnes, informed BSP PRO Subir Daripa in a statement issued here recently.
Rate of rolling of long rails has been progressively increasing at the Universal Rail Mill that was commissioned in January 2017. 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, the BSP PRO further said.
A total of 4674 Tonnes was dispatched in five rakes to Rupnagar, Raigarh, Mugar, Kalyan and Cannanore in April 2017 while 2635 Tonnes was dispatched in three rakes to Janpahad, Anuppur and Talcher in March 2017.
Total dispatches of 260 metre rails from URM in the three months from March to May 2017 has been 15,780 Tonnes, BSP PRO Daripa added.
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 dispatch 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
SAIl's value added production as a percentage of saleable steel will cross 50 per cent after the completion of its mega modernisation project including the one being taken up at its flagship Bhilai Steel Plant(BSP).
SAIl is also the largest and main supplier of steel for constructing country’s longest bridge 'Dhola-Sadiya’ which is built on river lohit in Assam.
SAIl has supplied around 90% or around 30,000 tonnes of steel, including TMT, Structurals and Plates, for this bridge which will connect the States of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
The product mix offered by SAIl was one of the major criteria for selection of the company for this prestigious project.
The construction of this 9.15-km-long bridge began in 2011 under public private partnership. This bridge is 3.55 kms longer than Mumbai’s Bandra-Worli Sea link, making it the longest bridge in India.
SAIl is supplying steel for several vital projects in country’s north-eastern region. Apart from the Dhola-Sadiya bridge, SAIl steel has also been used for constructing the Bogibeel Rail-cum-Road bridge, several power plants including 750 MW power plant of NTPC & 600 MW Kameng Hydro-electric project, Trans Arunachal highway etc. which all are very important projects for the region.
SAIl has identified specific focus areas in the North-Eastern region for increasing its presence and market share and has adopted a structured approach to widen its footprints.
Supplying steel to remote areas of NE, tapping the high potential rural sector of the region, exploring the Government’s thrust to improve the nation’s connectivity with North-East— all prominently figure on the company’s priority list.
Recently SAIl has appointed a General Manager to look after steel marketing in this area.
Becoming part of projects of such national importance and value is also a testimony to nation’s trust on SAIl steel.
SAIl is now in a position to offer better and more value-added steel for such projects as it is almost completing its balance modernisation.