India-based state owned steelmaker Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has announced that the country's largest blast furnace has become operational at its Rourkela steel plant.
According to SAIL's statement, the blast furnace will increase the company's pig iron capacity by 2.5 million mt per year to 4.5 million mt per year. With a daily pig iron production of 8,000 mt per day, the furnace has an enhanced campaign life of 20 years. The environment-friendly furnace ensures minimum emissions and recovers waste energy to the fullest.
Additionally, the new slab caster at the steel melting shop No. 2 at Rourkela has been inaugurated. It can cast slabs of width up to 2,500 mm with thicknesses of 220 mm, 250 mm and 300 mm. This slab caster will supply slabs to the new 4.3 meter wide plate mill being installed as a part of the Rourkela plant's modernization and expansion plan.