The Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), an unit of Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) is all set to start work on its Rs 12,000 crore modernisation and expansion programme, largest ever in the history of the plant.
?Following the project approval in May 2007, RSP had started the tendering process for procurement and erection of blast furnace, coke oven plant, sinter plant and material handling plant. Now with the financial approval coming in, the tenders would be awarded to start the work soon on the project, ? said RSP managing director, BN Singh. According to him, work worth about Rs 5,000 crore would roll out soon.
RSP is the second unit of the SAIL after IISCO to get the financial approval for modernisation and expansion programme. Bhilai Steel Plant, Durgapur Steel Plant, and the Bokaro Steel Plant are yet to get the financial clearance.
With completion of the modernisation and expansion programme, RSP?s hot metal capacity would be doubled from the present 2 million tonne to 4.5 million tonne. Similarly, crude steel production capacity will be increased to 4.2 million tonne per annum (mtpa) as against present capacity of 1.9 mtpa and that of saleable steel will be 3.9 mtpa against the present capacity of 1.67 mtpa.
RSP is setting up of the new units that include a state of art 4060 M3 Blast Furnace No 5 (which incidentally will be among the biggest in the country) with all support facilities, Sinter Plant No 3, a 7-metre-tall Coke Oven Battery No 6 having 67 ovens and augmentation of Ore Bedding & Blending Plant (OBBP) with new unloading station, additional beds for raw material storage, additional stacking and reclaiming equipment as well as additional base mix preparation units.
The other downstream facilities like one new LD Converter, one new Slab Caster, RH-OB and LHF for quality improvement of steel, and new Wide Plate Mill of 1.8 mtpa is also getting ready for the financial approval. With the modernisation and expansion programme getting the financial approval, the speculation about the future of the project has put to rest. Trade union leaders have raised doubt over the execution of the project pointing out that the project is facing cost and time overrun.