Rourkela Steel sets new records

Continuing its sterling performance in the fourth quarter (Q4), Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) registered its best-ever production in February compared to the same month any year since inception.

The company has posted significant growth in production of hot metal, continuous cast slabs, total saleable steel and dispatch of saleable steel during the month.

Hot Metal production reached 1,68,939 tonnes, continuous cast slabs reached 1,57,676 tonnes, total saleable steel reached 1,74,409 tonnes and dispatches of saleable reached 1,63,438 tonnes registering phenomenal growth of 18 per cent, 16.5 per cent, 26.4 per cent and 16.9 per cent as compared to February 2005.

The capacity utilisation in hot metal production climbed up to 110 per cent while the same for continuous cast slabs and total saleable steel production touched 124 per cent and 136 per cent respectively signaling highest-ever capacity utilisation for these facilities in the history of RSP.

The improvement in process parameters has resulted in the lowest-ever specific energy consumption during February 2006.

Total saleable steel production during the month of February incidentally is the best-ever for any month since inception.

This was backed by very significant growths in the production of plates from Plate Mill (15 per cent), Hot Rolled Coils for sale (57.6 per cent), ERW Pipes (29 per cent), Spiral Weld Pipes (28 per cent), Cold Rolled Coils (18 per cent), Tin Plates (44 per cent) and CRNO (5 per cent) as compared to February last fiscal.

For the period April-February, the steel plant improved its performance over the corresponding period of last fiscal by producing 1.587 million tonnes of hot metal, 1.486 million tonnes of continuous cast slabs and 1.442 million tonnes of total saleable steel registering growth of 4.1 per cent, 2.8 per cent and 3.1 per cent respectively.

It may be noted that RSP had maintained low volumes of production during the first half due to complete rebuilding of blast furnace No. 4, its largest furnace. With its recommissioning in mid-September 2005, the steel plant surpassed 100 per cent capacity utilisation in hot metal production every month without break since October 2005 thus providing the input for downstream primary and finishing units contributing to the enhanced performance levels being achieved.