The Hindu Business Line : JSW Steel registers 7 pc increase in pellet production

JSW Steel Ltd registered a 7 per cent increase in its pellet production at 1.014 million tonnes in its second quarter of financial year 2006-07. This is as compared to the second quarter for 2005-06 at 0.942 million tonnes, a company release said.

Crude steel at 0.649 million tonnes was 17 per cent higher as against 0.553 million tonnes in the second quarter for 2005-06.

The production of HR Coils at 0.601 million tonnes was 9 per cent higher as compared to the corresponding quarter in the previous year.

Expansion

JSW is a leading producer of flat steel in India and the largest exporter of galvanised steel in India. The company, as part of its 1.3 mtpa expansion project, has commissioned its coke oven, sinter plant and blast furnace.

The BOF (blast oxygen furnace) shops and the slab caster, is expected to be commissioned in October 2006, which will take up the slab capacity from current 2.5 mtpa to 3.8 mtpa.

Galvanised products dip

There was a marginal drop of 2 per cent in the production of galvanised products at 0.199 million tonnes as compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year at 0.203 million tonnes.

Mr Seshagiri Rao, Director Finance, JSW Steel Ltd said that with the commissioning of part of the 1.3 mtpa expansion project and modernisation of hot strip mill, the company posted an increase in volumes.

Low-cost producer

JSW Steel Ltd, a part of the $4-billion O.P Jindal group, is one of the low cost steel producers in the world with diversified interest in mining, carbon steel, power, industrial gases and port facilities. JSW Steel Ltd is primarily engaged in carbon steel and focuses on the manufacturing of flat products like H.R. Coils, C.R. Coils, Galvanised products and auto grade/white goods grade CRCA Steel. Incorporated in 1994, it has grown to $1.6 billion in little over a decade and continues to grow further with these expansions.

It is the country's third largest steel company with a 12 per cent share of the domestic market.