Bhilai plant produced 5.37 m tonnes hot metal in 2009-10

RAIPUR - Bhilai Steel Plant, the highest profit making unit of Indias largest public sector steel producer, Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), has ended its 2009-10 fiscal year with production of 5.370 million tonnes (MT) of hot metal, the company said Saturday.

“Bhilai Steel Plant concluded the fiscal 2009-10 on a strong note, registering a capacity utilisation of 114.3 percent, 130.2 percent and 138.6 percent in hot metal, crude steel and saleable steel production respectively, as it ended the year with production of 5.370 MT of hot metal, 5.109 MT of crude steel and 4.370 MT of saleable steel respectively,” according to a statement by the plant.

The plant, based some 30 km west of Chhattisgarh state capital Raipur, had seen a record production in 2008-09 as it touched 5.4 million tonnes of hot metal, 5.2 million tonnes of crude steel and 4.5 million tonnes of saleable steel production mark.

“In fiscal 2009-10, the coke ovens recorded the highest oven pushing rate of 746. The ore handling plant handled a record 15.82 MT of material,” the statement added.

The production at the Bhilai unit was stalled for over a week in February after a major fire broke out in the cable tunnel of its power and blowing station that supplies compressed air to the plants blast furnaces which produce hot metal.

Plant officials say that SAIL is investing some Rs.17,000 crore on modernisation and expansion work of its flagship unit to raise its annual hot metal production to 7.5 million tonnes by 2011-12.