Record production in Rourkela Steel

ROURKELA: With hot metal production touching 1.78 million tonne, all time record and with 1.62 MT total saleable steel, the production of the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) has registered its best-ever annual performance since inception in all its major area s during last fiscal.

"RSP's products are acceptable in the market and therefore saleable steel despatches during the fiscal registered all time best figure of about 1.6 MT,"said a spokesperson of the RSP.

Significant growth was also achieved over 2004-05 in the production of products like plate mill plates (13 per cent), hot rolled plates (20 per cent), galvanised sheet (20 per cent), cold rolled coil (10 per cent) and a spiral wield pipes (76 per cent).

The steel plant registered the highest ever converter lining life of 3,300 heats in steel melting shop-II and 1,100 heats in steel melting shop-I. Lowest ever energy consumption of 8.48 G Cal per tonne of crude steel was also achieved during the year.

Specific water consumption and coke rate also came down by nearly six per cent and four per cent respectively during the fiscal, all these factors contributed to bring down cost of production.