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Visakhapatnam Steel Plant

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Visakhapatnam Steel Plant
IndustrySteel
Founded1982
HeadquartersVisakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
Key people
Atul Bhatt, CMD
ProductsForged Rounds
Rebars
Rounds
Wire Rods Coil
Structurals
OwnerRashtriya Ispat Nigam
Websitewww.vizagsteel.com
Steel Plant entrance near Kurmannapalem

Visakhapatnam Steel Plant is the integrated steel plants of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited in Visakhapatnam. Founded in 1982, the plant focuses on producing value-added steel, producing 5.773 million tonnes of hot metal, 5.272 million tonnes of crude steel and 5.138 million tonnes of saleable steel in the 2021-2022 financial year.[1] According to the India Daily Times, the plant is expected to skyrocket in terms of production in the nearest future.It is an industry

History

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Pylon at Vizag Steel Plant

On 17 April 1970, the Prime Minister of India, the Indira Gandhi, announced the government's decision to establish a steel plant at Visakhapatnam. With the offer of assistance from the government of the erstwhile USSR, a revised project evolved some years later. A detailed project report for a plant with a capacity of 3.4 Mtpa was prepared in November 1980 and in February 1981, a contract was signed with the USSR for the preparation of working drawings of coke ovens, blast furnace and sinter plant. The blast furnace foundation was laid, with first mass concreting, in January 1982. The construction of the local township was also started at the same time.[2]

In the 1970s, Kurupam Zamindars donated 6,000 acres of land for Vizag Steel Plant. A new company Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) was formed on 18 February 1982. Visakhapatnam Steel Plant was separated from SAIL and RINL was made the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant in April 1982.[3]

Vizag Steel Plant is the only Indian shore-based steel plant and is situated on 33,000 acres (13,000 ha), and is poised to expand to produce up to 20 MT in a single campus. Turnover in 2011-2012 was Rs 14,457 crores.[3] On 20 May 2009, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh launched the expansion project of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant from a capacity of 3.6 MT to 6.3 MT at a cost of Rs. 8,692 crores. But the investment was revised to 14,489 crores with the following classification:

  • Expenditure for the financial year 2009-10 Rs 1840 crores.
  • Rs 5883 crores since inception of the project.
  • Total commitment, including enabling works, steel procurement, consultancy, spares, etc. is Rs 11591 crores as of 25 March 2010.

The expansion project is expected to become functional by 2012.[3] Currently, the steel plant has completed the expansion from 3.6 MT to 6.3 MT with a total investment of Rs.12,300 crore. The company has planned to expand its production capacity further by one more MT which requires an investment of Rs.4,500 crore.[4]

Accidents

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  • On 13 June 2012, 19 people died during a trial run of recently commissioned oxygen plant, due to a massive explosion in the plant.[5] Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma visited and announced 20 lakh (US$24,000) Ex gratia to each person.
  • In June 2014, two engineers were fatally injured in a suspected case of Carbon monoxide poisoning.[6]
  • On 7 Nov 2014, a minor explosion occurred in the Blast Furnace II but there were no casualties.[7]
  • In February 2015, an assistant general manager was involved in a fatal accident when he fell into a rotating drum.[8]
  • On 18 January 2019, a hot metal pipe was exploded in Blast furnace number 3. There were no casualties.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Splendid performance by Visakhapatnam Steel Plant in 2021-22". New Indian Express. 2 April 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  2. ^ "A supreme sacrifice that brought VSP to Vizag". The Hans India. November 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  3. ^ a b c "Vizag Steel Plant in Visakhapatnam". Visakhapatanam Online. India Online. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  4. ^ "Steel plant set for further expansion". The Hindu. 22 August 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  5. ^ "Massive explosion and fire in Vizag Steel plant, 16 dead, many injured". 13 June 2012.
  6. ^ "Two engineers killed in accident at Vizag Steel Plant". Business Standard. 16 June 2014.
  7. ^ "Minor explosion in Vizag Steel Plant blast furnace". The Hindu. 7 November 2014.
  8. ^ Patnaik, Santosh (12 February 2015). "Vizag Steel Plant official dies in industrial mishap". The Hindu.
  9. ^ "Explosion in Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, none injured". The Hindu. 18 January 2019.
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