The operationalisation of the unit to produce 3.708-mt sinter per annum took place in the presence of SAIL Chairman C S Verma who reviewed the progress of the modernisation projects at Bhilai Steel Plant on Wednesday.
Verma reviewed the ‘modernisation & expansion work at the Maharatna company’s flagship unit which would enhance the plant’s production levels to 7.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of Hot Metal from the current level of 5 mtpa with an investment of over Rs 17,265 crore,’ a SAIL statement said. This is 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 facilities coming up at 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,’ the statement said.
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, it said. It added that the new eco-friendly sinter machine will meet the requirement of sinter for new blast furnace as well as the existing furnace. A sinter is a small, irregular nodule of iron mixed with small amounts of other minerals and is used for converting iron into steel. The statement said that next in line for commissioning at SAIL-Bhilai is the new Coke Oven Battery and a Blast Furnace.
Verma also visited the site for the upcoming 0.9 MTPA Bar & Rod Mill which would produce high quality bars and rods besides reviewing the progress of new Steel Melting Shops and Oxygen plant.
Jindal Steel to stop buying coking coal from Australia
NEW DELHI: Jindal Steel and Power Ltd will stop buying coking coal from Australia in three months from now as its own mines there start shipping, according to a news agency. ‘We get 50,000 tonnes per month from our mine in Mozambique and another 50,000 tonnes we buy from Australia,’ said Jindal Steel Deputy Managing Director V R Sharma. ‘But after three months we will not be buying because we have our own mines there,’ he explained.
Jindal Steel, headed by industrialist MP Naveen Jindal, got access to 650 million tonnes of coking coal resources in October after buying a majority stake in Gujarat NRE Coking Coal, the Australian unit of Gujarat NRE Coke Ltd. Gujarat NRE Coking’s two mines, located in New South Wales, are currently producing 1.5 million tonnes per year and are expected to have an output of 5 million tonnes by 2016, the news agency added.
Australia is the world’s largest coking coal exporter, with shipments expected to rise 6 percent to 163.9 million tonnes this fiscal year ending March 31. Sharma said that Jindal Steel’s coking coal consumption will more than double to 2.6 million tonnes by 2016 as it expands capacity.
About 80 percent of the coal will come from its mines abroad and the rest it will buy from the open market.
Sharma said Jindal Steel is no longer looking to buy coal mines overseas as it has enough coking coal resources now.
India’s coking coal imports are set to rise 6 percent to 35 million tonnes this fiscal year ending March 31. Domestic output has been stagnant at 18 million tonnes per year due to curbs imposed by the judiciary as a result of green activism.
Verma reviewed the ‘modernisation & expansion work at the Maharatna company’s flagship unit which would enhance the plant’s production levels to 7.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of Hot Metal from the current level of 5 mtpa with an investment of over Rs 17,265 crore,’ a SAIL statement said. This is 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 facilities coming up at 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,’ the statement said.
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, it said. It added that the new eco-friendly sinter machine will meet the requirement of sinter for new blast furnace as well as the existing furnace. A sinter is a small, irregular nodule of iron mixed with small amounts of other minerals and is used for converting iron into steel. The statement said that next in line for commissioning at SAIL-Bhilai is the new Coke Oven Battery and a Blast Furnace.
Verma also visited the site for the upcoming 0.9 MTPA Bar & Rod Mill which would produce high quality bars and rods besides reviewing the progress of new Steel Melting Shops and Oxygen plant.
Jindal Steel to stop buying coking coal from Australia
NEW DELHI: Jindal Steel and Power Ltd will stop buying coking coal from Australia in three months from now as its own mines there start shipping, according to a news agency. ‘We get 50,000 tonnes per month from our mine in Mozambique and another 50,000 tonnes we buy from Australia,’ said Jindal Steel Deputy Managing Director V R Sharma. ‘But after three months we will not be buying because we have our own mines there,’ he explained.
Jindal Steel, headed by industrialist MP Naveen Jindal, got access to 650 million tonnes of coking coal resources in October after buying a majority stake in Gujarat NRE Coking Coal, the Australian unit of Gujarat NRE Coke Ltd. Gujarat NRE Coking’s two mines, located in New South Wales, are currently producing 1.5 million tonnes per year and are expected to have an output of 5 million tonnes by 2016, the news agency added.
Australia is the world’s largest coking coal exporter, with shipments expected to rise 6 percent to 163.9 million tonnes this fiscal year ending March 31. Sharma said that Jindal Steel’s coking coal consumption will more than double to 2.6 million tonnes by 2016 as it expands capacity.
About 80 percent of the coal will come from its mines abroad and the rest it will buy from the open market.
Sharma said Jindal Steel is no longer looking to buy coal mines overseas as it has enough coking coal resources now.
India’s coking coal imports are set to rise 6 percent to 35 million tonnes this fiscal year ending March 31. Domestic output has been stagnant at 18 million tonnes per year due to curbs imposed by the judiciary as a result of green activism.