SAIL on 20 July 2010 commissioned the upgraded Blast Furnace-2 of Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) at Bokaro in Jharkhand. The Blast Furnace-2 has been upgraded at a cost of Rs 805 crore.

The furnace has been commissioned under BSL's current expansion and modernisation plan and SAIL's ongoing expansion plan to take hot metal production capacity to 23.5 million tpa by FY 2012-13.

With the revamp, the working volume of Blast Furnace-2 has been raised to 2,250 cubic mtrs from 1,758 cubic mtrs for higher productivity level of 2 tonne/cubic mtrs/day by incorporating new technology. Other features of the upgraded unit include higher blast temperature of 1,200 degree Celsius, new skip system and modern technologies for cast house and cast house fume extraction, stock house and stock house dust suppression, hot blast system and stoves and other such features.

Post upgradation, the campaign life of the furnace has been increased by 16 years and it will only require one normal capital repair for Rs 60 crore. Also, production loss during the normal capital repair will be avoided.

Paul Wurth in consortium with L&T executed the main upgradation package and cast house defuming system package.

Under BSL's expansion and modernisation plan, a new Cold Rolling Mill complex of 1.2 million tpa capacity is likely to come up by December 2011, along with other auxiliary facilities.

Also See:

SAIL, Posco JV by October (17-Jul-10) 

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