ROURKELA: Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) of SAIL is all set for another expansion with addition of new production units and technological measures at a cost of around Rs 5,000 crore. A public hearing on environmental impact is scheduled to be held by Odisha State Pollution Control Board at the Civic Centre here on September 13 where all proposed projects would be taken up.
In line with the National Steel Policy, the RSP is planning to increase production capacity of hot metal from the current level of 4.5 million tonne per annum (MTPA) to 4.855 MTPA, crude steel from 4.2 MTPA to 4.85 MTPA and saleable steel from 3.880 MTPA to 4.325 MTPA.
Accordingly, a new coke ovens battery-7 with production capacity of 0.770 MTPA will come up near coke ovens battery-6, new steel melting shop (SMS)-3 having 1.15 MTPA capacity will be set up adjacent to SMS-1 and normalising furnace with 0.3 MTPA capacity will be installed inside the new plate mill to cater to niche market segments. Similarly, a new oxygen plant with capacity of 1,000 tonne per day would be set up near the existing plant to meet the enhanced capacity of the blast furnaces (BFs) and also cater to medical oxygen need.
Under the green initiative, different production units would be connected with the proposed natural gas pipeline network to curb use of fossil fuels like coal. Besides, facilities for charging of pellets, increasing hot blast temperature with installation of a new stove in BF-5 and oxygen enrichment have also been planned for capacity enhancement of the existing BF.
SP management sources claimed that all the proposed projects with superior environment technologies envisage ‘zero discharge’ concept and would not require drawing additional fresh water from Brahmani river. It is claimed that RSP has produced above 92 million tonne in over six decades and contributed more than Rs 22,000 crore to the exchequer of both the Centre and State.
During 2013-14, a massive modernisation and expansion was carried out in RSP enhancing its capacity from 2 MTPA to 4.5 MTPA at a cost of around Rs13,000 crore. Similarly, A new hot strip mill was commissioned in January, 2020 for around Rs 3,000 crore.