The Rourkela Steel Plant(RSP) has created a record by producing 2.30 million tonnes (mt) of hot metal in 2010-11 for the first time since inception of the plant.
The steel plant registered an output of 2.30 mt from its blast furnace, 2.16 mt of crude steel from its steel melting shops and 2.03 mt of saleable steel from its finishing mills, RSP sources said here today.
This was the second time in its history that RSP has simultaneously crossed the 2 million tonnes milestone in all areas of performances - hot metal, crude steel and saleable steel production. In 2007-08, the plant produced 2.16 mt of hot metal.
According to sources, the feat was achieved in the face of a shortfall in availability of imported coal in December, 2010, which threatened blast furnace performance, the sources said.
In the case of saleable steel, an all-time record output of 0.320 mt was achieved in production of hot rolled plates, a value-added item. Two other value-added products -- electric resistance weld pipes and spiral weld pipes -- registered production of 0.49 lakh tonnes and 0.35 lakh tonnes, respectively, translating into growth of 49 per cent and 31 per cent vis-a-vis 2009-10 levels, the sources said.
The steel plant had commenced 2010-11 with the twin strategy of maximising production volumes and improving its techno-economic parameters for bringing down the cost of production to sustain profitability in the face of adverse input prices.
In line with this strategy, RSP continued its growth momentum, registering a growth of nearly 2 per cent in hot metal, crude steel and saleable steel production, the sources said.
RSP also registered its best-ever annual performance in terms of vital technological parameters like coke rate per tonne of hot metal, blast furnace productivity, specific energy consumption per tonne of crude steel and specific water consumption per tonne of crude steel.
The plant is in the process of massive expansion and work is on in full swing for the timely commissioning of major packages by the end of 2011, the sources added.
