RSP MAINTAINS STEADY GROWTH
Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) of the
Steel Authority of India Ltd. continued to maintain a steady growth
rate in all areas of operations and crossed several milestones
during the first four months of the current fiscal. The plant
crossed the half million tonne mark in the production of hot metal,
saleable steel (total) and despatch of saleable steel for the
second year in succession and crossed the half million tonne mark
in the production of continuous cast slabs from CCM-I and CCM-2
for the first time.
RSP commenced
the current fiscal with the strategy of producing higher volumes
in a bid to enhance its capacity utilisation as well as market
presence. Towards achieving this objective, plant has achieved
best ever April-July performance in the areas of total sinter
(0.856 million tonnes), hot metal (0.56 million tonnes) and total
crude steel (0.504 million tonnes). In the finishing mills too,
the best ever April-July performance was registered in the production
of total saleable steel (0.532 million tonnes) which is a growth
of 6.2 per cent over the corresponding period of last year.
A major contribution
to the plant's performance during the first four months of the
fiscal has been made by the sterling performance of July. RSP
has recorded the best ever July performance in the areas of hot
metal, total crude steel, total saleable and despatch of saleable
steel. It is noteworthy that the production of total saleable
steel of 1,55,133 tonnes for the month of July has been the best
as compared to any month since inception of the plant. Incidentally,
the monthly best ever production of saleable steel had been set
up only recently in March 2003.
In tune with
market demand RSP continued its efforts to improve its profitability
by increasing the production of value added items. During the
first four months an impressive growth rate has been recorded
for value added products as
compared to the corresponding period of last year in the production
of plates (40%), tine plates (25 %), electric resistance weld
pipes (147 %),spiral weld pipes(271 %), CR sheet/coil (1.6 %),
galvanised sheets (1.5 %) and CRNO from Silicon Steel Mill (8
%). The production of RSP's high value-added CRNO from its Silicon
Steel Mill during the month of July was the best ever performance.
The acceptability
of RSP's products in the market is vouched by despatch of more
than half a million tonnes of finished steel to the market during
the first four months of the fiscal for the second consecutive
year. The steel plant has also concentrated its attention on achieving
100 per cent capacity utilisation with a view to bringing down
its cost of production. During the month more than 100 per cent
capacity utilisation was achieved in the major areas of continuous
casting machine-II. Hot Strip Mill, Plate Mill, Silicon Steel
Mill and in the despatches from Ore Bedding and Blending Plant.
