OREANDA-NEWS. FY 2012-13 closed on a good end for Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) as the company registered 4% growth in the production of value added steel over the last fiscal. SAIL remained at the forefront of strengthening the industrial backbone of the country by producing over 5 million tonnes of these special steel products designed for specific end-use.

Bhilai Steel Plant developed special soft iron magnetic plates for the prestigious India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) project of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). For the first time ever, SAIL plants at Bokaro and Salem started production of IS 2062 E450 and E 350 HR Coils tailor-made for wagons of Indian Railways. For the petrochemicals industry, Bhilai and Rourkela developed a new grade of ASTM 537 plates which finds application in pressure vessels. Another product which caters to petrochemical industry is the NACE quality plate developed by SAIL Bhilai. These cracking-resistant plates are ideal for transportation of gases having higher content of hydrogen-sulphide. As for the automobile sector, SAIL Bokaro came out with ultra high strength HR and CR steel with Mn-B, especially for auto body components. SAIL continued to gear its efforts towards product innovation. Besides catering to large scale industry, 31 CrV3 grade billets were rolled out in Durgapur Steel Plant for the first time in India; a product highly appreciated among makers of spanners and hand tools.

FY 2012-13 was also a year of best-ever techno economic parameters at SAIL for Coke Rate, energy consumption and Blast Furnace productivity; the latter two registering improvement of 3% and 5% respectively.

Significant progress was also made in the modernisation & expansion projects in FY 2012-13, especially at Rourkela (RSP) and IISCO (ISP) Steel Plants. At RSP, the new Sinter Plant and new Coke Oven Battery #6 commenced production. At ISP, a new Coke Oven Battery #11 and Sinter Plant were operationalised, while the hot trials for the new Wire Rod Mill were also commenced. With more capacities lined up in different plants and units of SAIL, the company is looking forward to higher growth trajectory in FY 2013-14.