SAIl Chairman, CS Verma was at SAIl’s Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) on March 19 to review the modernisation and expansion work at the Maharatna company’s flagship unit that would enhance the plant’s production levels to 7.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of hot metal from the current level of around five mtpa with an investment of over Rs 17,265 crore. This is a part of the total outlay of Rs 72,000 crore for expansion of SAIl’s hot metal capacity from 14.23 mtpa to 23.46 mtpa.
The new modernised facilities coming up at SAIl-Bhilai include a new blast furnace, sinter machine, a coke oven battery, steel melting shop, universal rail mill and a bar and rod mill. These new facilities will not only increase the production capacity but would also improve product quality, introduce new products, reduce cost of production and make the plant more environmental friendly. During the visit, Verma accompanied by SS Mohanty, director (technical) and TS Suresh, director (projects and business planning), witnessed the successful hot trials of the new state of the art sinter making facility.
The expansion of SAIl-BSP is now in an accelerated mode with the operationalisation of the new sinter machine that has been installed at a cost of over Rs 730 crore. The new 360 sqm sinter machine will produce 3.708 MT sinter per annum to meet the requirement of sinter for the new blast furnace as well for the existing furnaces. The new eco-friendly unit includes high degree of process automation and has state of the art waste heat recovery and dedusting facilities.
Next in line for commissioning at SAIl-Bhilai is the new seven metre tall coke oven battery number 11 where temporary heating of battery is in progress. The new battery that will enhance the plant’s coke making capacity by 0.88 mtpa is equipped with environment-friendly coke dry cooling plant that would facilitate better pollution control and energy recovery from the hot coke which goes waste in conventional wet quenching, while ensuring improvement in yield and better coke quality.
Another new and modern facility coming up fast at BSP is the 4060 cu metre blast furnace number eight that is designed to produce 8000 tonnes of hot metal per day. The new blast furnace is equipped with modern and environment-friendly technologies including Top Recovery Turbine (TRT) system for power generation and Pulverised Coal Injection.
In the finishing mills area, Verma reviewed the project for the new 1.2 MTPA universal rail mill that has also made rapid progress. Designed to produce world class rails by universal rolling method, the new mill would enable SAIl to roll out single piece rails of 130 metres, the longest in the world. The new rail welding plant will enable production of 260 m long welded rail panels with a future provision of 520 m long panels. BSP is gearing itself to meet all the future requirement of Indian Railway’s including head-hardened rails. Chairman SAIl also visited the site for the upcoming 0.9 mtpa bar and rod mill and reviewed the progress. This new mill would be producing high quality bars and rods both in straight lengths and in coils including seismic grade and corrosion resistant high quality reinforcement bars for safe construction.
Verma also visited the project site for the new steel melting shop number three of four mtpa capacity complete with all secondary refining and continuous casting facilities and modern quality control systems.
During the course of his visit, Verma also visited a new oxygen plant facility in Bhilai that would supply oxygen to the Plant. The project that has been completed has been built on BOO (build, own and operate) basis by M/s Praxair ltd.
later, interacting with Chandrasekaran, CEO, BSP and senior officers of the plant, chairman SAIl said that by virtue of its consistent performance in various parameters, Bhilai has earned a place of distinction in the steel industry. The plant has won the prestigious Prime Minister’s trophy for best integrated steel plant in the countrya record 11 times out of the 20 times it has been given away since the award was instituted.
In regard to the progress of the company’s Modex programme at Bhilai, Verma said that the greatest challenge before the Bhilai collective today is to complete the balance modex work expeditiously and commission and stabilise the new facilities at the earliest. The commissioning of the new facilities at Bhilai would further fortify its position in the steel industry, he said. He expressed confidence that the unique work culture and spirit of excellence ingrained in members of the workforce in Bhilai would take SAIl’s flagship unit to still greater heights of excellence.