Steel Authority of India's hot metal capacity to reach 19 million tonne by September end

B D Narayankar reports

Bangalore, May 4 (PTI) After the operationalisation of a new blast furnace at Burnpur steel plant, Steel Authority of India Ltd’s hot metal capacity would go up to 19 million tonnes by September-end, company Chairman C S Verma today said.

Now, the capacity is 14 mt per annum.

The new blast furnace at Burnpur steel plant will be commissioned in August, Verma said. In addition, the “first heat” in the new converter in Rourkela plant will be made on May 10.

“The converter in Rourkela steel plant — first heat — we are taking on May 10, and in the next three months, in August, SAIL is going to commence one more blast furnace in Burnpur steel plant,” he said.

The country’s largest blast furnace is operating in Rourkela steel plant and the volume there is 4,060 cubic meter, he added.

He said the company has also drawn up its “Vision 2025” plan to ramp up its hot metal capacity from 24 mt to 50 mt with an additional capital outlay of Rs 1,50,000 crore.

Verma said the steel company has the total investment of Rs 72,000 crore for the ongoing expansion, of which Rs 55,000 crore had been spent on modernisation plan. 

"This is an ongoing expansion which we have been discussing many a time. All these special programmes were started three years back. Total investment is 72,000 crore. Already Rs 55,000 crore has been spent," he added.