Union Steel Secretary, G Mohan Kumar, will inaugurate the upgraded blast furnace-1 christened Godavari at the Visakhapatnam steel plant (Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd) on Wednesday morning, according to a press release.

He will also inaugurate sinter heat recovery power plant (SHRPP) of 20.6 MW and participate in a seminar on power generation through sinter heat recovery at multipurpose hall in Ukkunagaram.

Modernisation of Godavari

The volume of the blast furnace-1 (Godavari) is being increased from 3,200 cu m to 3,800 cu m by introducing copper cooling plates and latest generation cast iron cooling plates in the place of existing normal cast iron cooling plates.

Further, latest improved refractories are being used so that the inner volume of the furnace can be increased by about 600 cu m. It will result in reduction of the cost of hot metal production apart from increasing production from the furnace by 0.5 million tonnes from the present 2 mt. The total cost of modernisation, including all auxiliaries, is around Rs 600 crore.

Godavari was commissioned in 1991 and at that point of time it was the largest blast furnace with 3,200 cu m volume and a production capacity 1.8 mt. The furnace has been consistently producing above the rated capacity during the past decade. It has so far produced 37 mt of hot metal in 23 years, the release said.

Sinter heat power plant

RINL signed a memorandum of understanding with NEDO-Japan (New Energy Industrial Technology Development Organisation) for the sinter cooler waste heat recovery power plant cf 20.6 MW.

The model project, the first of its kind in the Indian steel industry, has been successfully commissioned. The eco-friendly project will reduce CO 2 emissions to the extent of 2,20,616 tonnes annually. To mark the occasion, RINL is organising a seminar on the subject, it added.

>sarma.rs@thehindu.co.in

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