SAIL Fires Up Asia's Second Largest Blast Furnace

Correction- Earlier SteelMint reported, this is the Asia's largest blast furnace but Tata Steel's Kalinganagar is Asia's largest blast furnace with an annual capacity of 3.2 MnTpa.

SAIL (Steel Authority of India) crosses a new milestone, commissions its biggest Blast Furnace in Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP). Eventually this is Asia's second largest blast furnace after Tata Steel.

The 10 years long wait was finally over for SAIL when on 2 Feb'18 its Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) in Chhattisgarh commissioned the company's biggest and 8th blast furnace-Mahamaya, with a hot metal production capacity of 2.8 MnT per annum.

While there are seven blast furnaces installed in BSP with a combined hot metal production capacity of 5 MnT per annum, this new 8th blast furnace (BF) is capable of producing 8,000 tonnes of hot metal per day combining its total capacity to 2.8 MnT per annum and has a useful volume of 4,060 cubic metres. BSP's total hot metal production capacity will cross 7.5 MnT after the commissioning of this 8th blast furnace.

The sequence of events

The foundation of this blast furnace was laid in 2010, while in 2013 the construction of three stoves and chimney was completed. In Mar'17 finally the stove heating was started. The mushroom dome shaped internal combustion type stoves with ceramic burners are designed and supplied by 'M/s Paul Wurth' and provide adequate supply of hot blast to the furnace at a temperature of 1250 degree Celsius. However, there has been delay in the commissioning of the BF as the same was expected to start by 2016.

Advanced technology that is used in 8th blast furnace

BSP's blast furnace no.8 has various new generation technological features like Cast-House and Stock House Deducting System, Top Pressure Recovery Turbine (TRT), Pulverised Coal Injection (PCI), Modern Heat Transmission System through Carbon Block, Ceramic Cup and SGI & Cu-staves and other state-of-the-art energy-efficient and pollution control equipment including Waste Heat Recovery system.

Cost savings and addition to company's profits

According to the SAIL's officials, BF-8 will require lesser number of workers against other blast furnaces. While blast furnaces from 1 to 7 require about 5,000 workers, BF-8 will require only 700 workers thus, reducing company's labour costs.

The company's officials have confirmed that he installation this 8th BF would generate profits of INR 6,000 crores per annum for SAIL. It is also being reported that the company is currently bearing annual looses of 5,000 crores whereas BSP's losses are recorded at INR 200 crore per annum.

Outlook for the company

SAIL has five integrated steel plants situated in Rourkela, Bhilai, Durgapur, Bokaro, and Asanol. The total hot metal production capacity of these plants is about 23.5 MnT per annum. The steel major is targeting an increase in sales volume by 10% every year from the 14 MnT in FY17. The installation of the 8th blast furnace in company's production capacity is a key step to achieve its target.