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SAIL Board nod for Rs. 675 cr upgradation schemes

New Delhi, December 16, 2004

The SAIL Board of Directors yesterday gave the go-ahead for a number of projects involving a total investment of over Rs. 675 crore. The projects, aimed at upgrading technology in existing production facilities, are part of the first phase of the company’s growth plan that envisages increasing production of value-added steels by the year 2012.

The Board granted in-principle approval for revamping of Galvanising Lines I & II at Rourkela Steel Plant’s Cold Rolling Complex and installation of a hot metal desulphurisation unit at Bhilai Steel Plant’s SMS-II. Four other important projects also received the green signal for commencement of implementation. These include rebuilding of a coke oven battery each at Bhilai and Bokaro Steel Plants with the latest pollution control facilities, revamping/replacement of B-strand in Bhilai’s Wire Rod Mill and installation of argon oxygen decarburisation facility and high-powered electric arc furnace at Alloy Steels Plant. These four projects are expected to be completed within a period of two years.

SAIL’s Corporate Plan 2012 provides a blueprint for the company’s growth in the coming years, in tandem with a growing market. As part of the plan, SAIL will increase hot metal production from its plants to a level of about 20 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) by 2012 against the current level of 13 MT, leading to saleable steel production of 17.38 MTPA against the current level of 10.73 MT.

In view of emerging market requirements, SAIL has also planned to raise its output of finished steel to 16.6 MTPA by 2011-12 from the current level of 8.6 MT, and reduce generation of semi-finished steel from 20% of saleable steel to 5%. This will enable inclusion of more value-added products in the company’s product basket. For realistic achievement, the plan has been split into two stages – Stage-1 pertaining to the period up to 2006-07 and Stage-2 up to 2011-12.

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