Raipur | March 08, 2017: The Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has offered a consultancy assignment to CSIR-CIMFR, Nagpur for carrying out the detailed hydrological and hydro-geological study of Pandridalli-Rajhara Pahar Mining Lease of the Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP), officials informed.

Notably, SAIL's concerted efforts on increasing export shares has started to bear fruits as in the month of February, 2017, the public sector steel giant has achieved the best ever export monthly volume of steel in last ten years, an official statement informed.

A total of 1.03 lakh tonnes of steel was exported last month, which includes the first time shipment of CE marked plates from the New Plate Mill of SAIL’s Rourkela Steel Plant to Europe.

The new 4.3 meter wide Plate Mill with initial capacity of 1.0 MT can be augmented to 1.8 MT and is equipped with state-of-art technology which can produce wide range of plates with close dimensional tolerance, perfect flatness and surface finish to meet stringent international standards.

The other products which contribute to this record exports include wire rods, hot rolled coil, billets and slabs. During the current financial year 2016-17 SAIL has already exported 6.82 lakh tonnes.

The company aims at exporting 10 percent of its total production and at doubling the volumes for next fiscal in FY 17-18 which will happen after tripling export volumes during the current fiscal.

SAIL plans to soon diversify its exports basket with cold rolled and galvanized products from New Cold Rolling Mill at Bokaro, structural’s from New Universals Section Mill at Burnpur and Medium Structural Mill at Durgapur. Through the enriched product offering the Company aims to consolidate its presence not only in South East Asian market but also in Europe.

SAIL is currently undertaking project augmentation of raw material receipt and handling facilities under its modernization and expansion project at the Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP).

Notably, SAIL has set a target of increasing hot metal manufacturing capacity of the Bhilai Steel Plant from 15.41 million tonnes per annum to 23.5 million tonnes post the ongoing modernization and expansion project.

The company has set iron ore pelletisation target of 1 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) in due course after its pelletisation project goes on stream in Dallirajhara mines when commissioned in Chhattisgarh, officials stated.

The project is being assisted by public sector MECON Ltd for required works needed for the plant, officials stated.

Notably, the Dallirajhara mines is one of the two principal sources of iron ore supply to the Bhilai Steel Plant.

Notably, the expansion and modernisation of Bhilai Steel Plant is underway to also take steel manufacturing capacity from 4 MTPA to 7 MTPA.

The Energy Management Department of Bhilai Steel Plant has safely and successfully commissioned about 650 RM (running metre) of diametre 1400 mm main Coke oven gas line for Blast Furnace-8 recently.

For connecting new header with existing gas network, shutdown of URM coke oven gas line was taken for three shifts, a BSP press release informed.

After purging and ensuring normal sample the new gas line was safely connected and successfully commissioned. With the commissioning of new coke oven gas line, stoves of Blast Furnace-8 can now consume gas for heating purpose.

The gas line project was carried out under the leadership of Navin Kumar DGM I/c (EMD) and under the guidance of P.K. Singh, DGM (Gas Safety &Opr) EMD.

Commercial production of world class 130 metre long rails from the new Universal Rail Mill of Bhilai Steel Plant began in November last year.

The 130-meter rail rolled at URM would be World’s longest rail in a single piece. The hot trials for rolling and straightening of rails were underway and after seeking all required clearances from third party inspection agency M/s RITES, commercial production from URM has begun.Despatch of the first rake from this new facility would take place in about two days, a BSP press release informed.

The entire team of M/S SMS MEER Germany, M/s ABB and M/S SMS MEER India and the Projects team of Bhilai Steel Plant along with SR Babu, DGM worked relentlessly to achieve this significant milestone.

M Ravi, Chief Executive Officer, Bhilai Steel Plant congratulated the entire team on the achievement of this major milestone.

The new URM established at a cost of about Rs. 1200 Cr. is part of SAIL-Bhilai Steel Plant’s modernization programme that would scale up capacity to 7 million tonnes per annum (mtpa).

SAIL will be setting up a 1.2 MTPA ‘Slime Beneficiation Unit’ for iron ore slime at its Dallirajhara Mechanized Mines in Chhattisgarh.

Notably, SAIL is co-ordinating with the construction of Rail line from DaIlirajhara to Rowghat covering a distance of 95 km with Indian Railways in Chhattisgarh.

The project for doubling of Railway line between Kirandul and Jagdalpur in Chhatisgarh’s insurgency ridden Bastar region is expected to be complete by January 2019, official sources informed.

Notably, NMDC Ltd -- the country's largest iron ore producer and exporter had also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Union Ministry of Railways on December 21, 2012 and the aforesaid project would be helpful in significantly augmenting evacuation capacity of NMDC’s Bailadila Sector mines by rail from the existing 28 MTPA to 40 MTPA of iron ore.

NMDC had deposited an amount of Rs 150 crores with East Coast Railway and the expenditure incurred as on March 31, 2015 was Rs 132.00 crore, sources informed.

For execution of the project, the Railways has divided the 150 km length of doubling work into three Sections namely, Jagdalpur to Silakjori 45.50 km, Kirandul to Gidam 52.23 km and Silakjori to Gidam 52.73 km.Notably, the Rs 2000 crore Rowghat to Jagdalpur railway line would also pass through heavily insurgency infested Kondagaon and Narayanpur districts of Bastar division in Chhattisgarh, officials stated.

The project is a joint venture between Chhattisgarh government, NMDC, SAIL and IRCON.

There are a total of 840 farmers in Chhattisgarh whose land had been acquired for the Dallirajahara-Rowghat rail line project, the Central government has informed.

It may be recalled that Chhattisgarh government would also be earmarking suitable land banks in the vicinity of Dallirajahara-Rowghat-Jagdalpur Rail Corridor for setting up of small industrial units, officials informed.

The Chhattisgarh government would be earmarking suitable land banks in the vicinity of Dallirajahara-Rowghat-Jagdalpur Rail Corridor for setting up of small industrial units, officials informed.

(Source: http://www.dailypioneer.com/)