OREANDA-NEWS. Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has achieved the highest ever Q1 production of saleable steel at 3.2 million tonnes (MT), up by 6% over corresponding period last year (CPLY). In the first quarter of FY ‘14, SAIL has registered impressive growth in various production and techno-economic parameters. Production of value added steel touched the best ever Q1 mark, at 1.28 MT, a y-o-y growth of 4%. Efficiency of production also got a boost with specific energy consumption at 6.57 gcal/tcs, lower by 1% than CPLY, and BF productivity of 1.57 t/Cum/day, better by 2%. As for the month of June ‘13, saleable steel production of 1.08 MT was higher by 7% compared to same month last year.

The Modernisation & Expansion programme (MEP) received new fillip during the quarter with the commissioning of new Coke Oven Battery No. 6 at SAIL Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) on June 1, 2013. The new Battery complex, built at a cost of Rs. 1400 crore, has an annual capacity of 0.768 MT. Other projects under MEP which started production include new Sinter Plant and Coke Oven at RSP, Air Separation Unit of Oxygen Plant at Bhilai Steel Plant, Raw materials Handling Plant, Coke Oven, Sinter Plant and Wire Rod Mill & RHF at IISCO Steel Plant.

During April-June 2013, new projects worth around Rs 2700 crore have commenced production, significant among them are the new 7 meter tall battery complex along with coke dry cooling plant and the 2500-mm wide slab caster, both at RSP. The new 4,060 cubic meter blast furnace at RSP will also commence production in the current month. This furnace is the largest blast furnace in the country. With several other projects on the anvil, the annual production capacity of hot metal is expected to grow to 19 MT by next fiscal from the current level of 14 MT.