BACKGROUNDER

DURGAPUR STEEL PLANT

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Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP) of the Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) was set up in late fifties with an initial capacity of one million tonnes crude steel per annum The first blast furnace of the plant was commissioned on December 29,1959.The first ingot was caste on April 24,1960 in the steel melting shop and the day is observed as DSP day. The section mill was opened for production in March, 1961 and the Merchant Mill in January 1962. The capacity of the plant was enhanced to 1.6 million tonnes of crude steel per annum in 1969 based on the project report required by Central Engineering and Design Bureau of HSL.

DSP entered the new millennium with the commissioning of the modernize new units. The technological upgradation of the plant was carried in the nineties with massive training of the employees. The introduction of new technology helped the plant for selective crusting of coal, base blending facility for sinter plant, adopt new process of steel making and continuous casting of billets. The modernisation of two blast furnaces and the wheel plant has made the plant more dynamic. Now the modernised and new units have successfully achieved their rated capacity and thus DSP is all set to face the global competitive market.

The integrated steel plant, spread over an area of 6.5 sq. km, employs a workforce of about 20,000 people. One of the largest industrial complex in West Bengal, Durgapur Steel Plant has introduced the latest state-of-the-art technology that produces better quality steel at a competitive cost. After the completion of modernisation, the plant has attained capacity to produce: hot metal-1.92 mollion tonnes, liquid steel-1.876 million tonnes and saleable steel-1.586 million tonnes. Following the modernisation, thrust has been given to quick assimilation of technology and process management, capacity utilization, quality management, high customer focus, cost reduction and revenue maximisation.

Durgapur Steel township spreads over an area of 40 sq.kms. and is equipped with all modern facilities for a quality standard of living. Many ancillary industries both manufacturing and service have come up around the township. 158 kms. west of Kolkata, Durgapur is situated on the banks of the Damodar River. The Grand Trunck Road which as been converted recently into a four-lane expressway and the main Kolkata-Delhi railway line, pass through Durgapur.