VISAKHAPATNAM: The demand for steel is bound to increase in future, necessitating a rise in steel capacity in the country. Hence, special efforts must be taken for eco-protection and sustainability, G Mohan Kumar, secretary to the Ministry of Steel, has said.
The Steel secretary inaugurated the upgraded blast furnace-1 ‘Godavari’ and the Sinter Heat Recovery Power Plant (SHRPP) of 20.6 MW under Green Aid Plan of Japan (NEDO Project) at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant here Wednesday.
Speaking at a session on ‘Dissemination Seminar of Sinter Heat Recovery Power Plant’ (SHRPP) in Ukkunagaram, in which a large number of technocrats from Japan participated, Mohan Kumar praised the RINL for implementing the prestigious NEDO project of 20.6 MW power generation from Sinter Heat with the cooperation of the Japanese government. It was another jewel in the crown of the steel maker and the first-of-its-kind in the Indian steel industry.
“The VSP is one of the steel plants that had to cope with various adverse conditions and was still maintaining profitability besides making significant strides in the direction of sustainability even without captive raw material sources. RINL is performing very efficiently even though it is facing several constraints on the raw material front.” The RINL had set an example in water usage and emerged as one of the ‘Lowest Water Consumption Plant’ in the world, he added.
RINL CMD P Madhusudan said that the RINL had been a forerunner in adopting energy efficient technologies, right from its inception, and continuously striving to improve its energy performance. The plant was also one of the highest waste energy recovery plants in the country, Madhusudan said.
After unveling a plaque to mark the occasion, Mohan Kumar visited the Furnace Control Room (FCR) and learnt its modern features. The total cost of modernisation and upgrading of the blast furnace, including all auxiliaries, was put at `600 crore, while the (SHRPP) was built at a cost of `300 cr.
Representative Director, JP Steel Plantech CO-Japan and NEDO executive director Fumio Ueda expressed readiness to extend similar cooperation as in the case of SHRPP in the future in the country. RINL directors Umesh Chandra (Operations), TK Chand (Commercial), PC Mohapatra (Projects) and GBS Prasad (Personnel), and chief vigilance officer B Siddhartha Kumar were present.