OREANDA-NEWS. March 28, 2012. The Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) of the Maharatna Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) is slated for quantum growth through effective utilisation of existing capacity and addition of fresh capacity. SAIL Chairman CS Verma inaugurated two rebuilt Coke Oven Batteries (COBs) of BSL on 24th March 2012, in presence of Director (Personnel) BB Singh, Director (Technical) & BSL CEO SS Mohanty, senior officers and a large gathering of enthusiastic employees. He also inaugurated the Coil Packaging Line-2 of the new Cold Rolling Mill. Yet another facility inaugurated by SAIL Chairman was the recently set up Centre of Excellence.

Re-built at a cost of Rs. 500 crores, the two COBs of BSL are completely emission free, with a high level of automation and increased productivity. Part of the 8-battery complex, these two COBs share the same basic dimensions, while improving upon other technical aspects.

The other facility inaugurated - Coil Packaging Line-2 - is part of the new 1.2 MTPA Cold Rolling Mill complex, being built at a total cost of Rs. 3000 crores. This mill is in the final phases of equipment testing and commissioning. The products of this state-of-the-art mill are expected to meet the expectations of auto-body and premium white goods sectors. The mill capacity will include 0.84 MT of Cold Rolled products and 0.36 MT of coated products. The CR product basket will include Extra Deep Drawn (EDD) Quality, Deep Drawn Quality (DD), Interstitial-free (IF), High Strength Low Alloy Steel (HSS), Dual-phase (DP), Transformation-induced Plasticity (TRIP), Bake-hardening (BH), in addition to Commercial Quality, with a maximum tensile strength of 680 MPa.

In the current phase of expansion, which started in 2008 January, the Hot Metal capacity of BSL was slated to go up from 4.59 to 5.77 mtpa. This phase of expansion envisages improvement in techno-economic parameters, removal of obsolescence and induction of new technologies through an infusion of Rs. 8625 crores in modernisation, expansion and sustenance schemes. A number of units have already been commissioned and brought into regular production. With volume enhancement, technological upgradation and provision of a new turbo blower and Coal Dust Injection (total project cost of Rs. 1062 crores), the Blast Furnace-2 will have a productivity of more than 2 tons / M3 / day. Further downstream, the Steel Melting Shop-2 & Continuous Casting Shop complex has been upgraded through the provision of a covered slag yard, computerised process control and a second ladle furnace, resulting in capacity augmentation from 2.85 to 3.35 mtpa.

Addressing a cross-section of employees from SAIL's different units operating from Bokaro, SAIL Chairman re-affirmed his confidence in the huge potential of BSL and underscored the key role this unit is slated to play in realising SAIL's Vision 2020. He lauded the efforts of the BSL collective in developing new products, finding breakthrough solutions to technological challenges and tapping the potential of available production facilities. Verma laid special emphasis on accelerating the implementation of projects so as to reap early benefits from these investments.