The Hindu Business Line : Vizag Steel signs pact with L&T consortium

Visakhapatnam May 11 Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL) on Friday signed an agreement — with a consortium comprising Paul Wurth, Italy, and Larsen & Toubro — for the construction and commissioning of the third blast furnace, the most crucial component of the expansion project taken up at a cost of Rs 8,600 crore. The steel plant's capacity would be hiked to 6.2 million tonnes (mt) from the present 3 mt.

This is the single largest contract signed in Visakhapatnam Steel Plant's history, says the press release issued by the RINL, at a cost of more than Rs 1,500 crore. The furnace is to be commissioned within 30 months.

Energy Conservation

The agreement was signed by Mr A.K. Banerjee, Executive Director (Projects), in the presence of the Chairman and Managing Director, Mr P.K. Bishnoi.

It is a turnkey project employing the most modern technology, says the release. Coal dust injection, oxygen enrichment, copper cooling plates, level-two automation are incorporated to achieve the best productivity levels and energy conservation. The blast furnace, of 3,800 cubic metres with a production capacity of 2.5 mt per annum, is going to be among the biggest in the steel industry.

Mr Bishnoi congratulated the parties and stressed the importance of completing the project ahead of schedule.

Mr K.S. Shankar, Executive Director (Finance), and representatives of the consultant, M.N. Dastur & Company (Kolkata), were present on the occasion. In another press release, the RINL authorities said the refractory works in the fourth coke oven battery was nearing completion.

The last silica refractory brick in the fourth coke oven battery was laid on Friday by Mr Banerjee. The battery is likely to be commissioned by October.