With the revamp project of the IISCO Steel Plant (ISP) of Steel Authority of India Ltd. at Burnpur entering its last mile now, SAIL Chairman C S Verma has exhorted employees to complete the work on a war-footing. Making his second visit in two months to the unit of the erstwhile Indian Iron and Steel Company (IISCO) near Asansol, Mr. Verma called for an early commissioning and fast stabilisation of units which have already commenced production.
A company official said that the Rs. 16,000-crore modernisation was now nearing completion, and several units had already begun functioning. “Units worth around Rs. 5000 crore have already commenced production.”
The project is around 20 months behind schedule and has missed internal completion targets. The erstwhile SAIL subsidiary was in a decrepit condition when it was amalgamated with SAIL in 2006. Post- upgrade, it will produce 2.5 million tonnes of steel against 0. 5 million tonnes now, with a host of other modernised facilities.
While units such as the coke oven and sinter plant and wire rod mill have already commenced trial production, the basic oxygen furnace and the continuous casting plant are now likely to be ready by December, marking the project’s completion.