Steeled for Success

It is boom-time in the steel sector, AV Amarnath, CEO, Steel SBU, Essar Projects, says.

In 2010, India was the world's fifth largest producer of crude steel, with domestic production growing at a rate of 9.5 per cent between 2000 and 2010. Even in 2010, the steel sector witnessed steady growth and exceeded the pre-crisis level. India is expected to become the second largest producer of steel in the world by 2015-16, on account of growing steel demand, rich resources base of iron ore and vast experience of steel making and the huge capacity expansion planned and being executed in the steel sector. For our Strategic Business Unit, Essar Steel, we have already been executing many projects. Essar Projects has proven capabilities in all Steel plant related units which were completed on EPC basis having its own resources in terms of Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Project Management. Having done critical jobs on an EPC basis, we have started venturing outside the country, too. In five years, we hope to grow fivefold, since we foresee the demand growing by about that degree.

Innovative methods in Steel Projects

Canopy for SMP: Canopy is the heart of FES (Fume Extraction System) of SMP (Steel Making Plant), the fabrication and erection of this 3D structure is one of the most critical activity. As per the orthodox method, the Canopy fabrication and erection was done in loose condition. Total 1693 loose members were to be lifted and erected in position at 65m elevation. This process would have taken at least 130-140 days. Innovative method of Fabricating and Erecting the Canopy in only 3 assembled parts was evolved by out of the box thinking, meticulous designing and planning. The duration of completion of all 3 parts was 50 days.

Brisk strides

Essar Projects started two decades ago, initially built the 8 MTPA Beneficiation Plant at Bailadila (A.P), the 8 MTPA Pellet Plant at Vizag, DRI/HBI, HSM, SMP, CRM complex at Hazira (Gujarat). Recently Essar Projects has carried out the projects for Blast Furnace, DRI, Corex, SMP, CSP at Hazira to increase the capacity to 10 MMTPA from 4.6 MMTPA. Forward integrating, Essar Projects also built 1.5 MMTPA Plate Mill Plant, which produces plates upto 5m wide catering to the needs of our ship-building services. O.6 MMTPA Pipe Mill Complex with Hsaw, Lsaw and Coating Plant was built to catering to the needs of Petroleum and Refinery industries.

Major Ongoing and Upcoming Projects in Steel Sector:

• 1.35 MTPA Coke Oven Plant, Hazira  
• 2 x 4 MTPA Beneficiation Plant at Dabuna, Orissa with expansion plans upto 24 MTPA  
• 253 km Iron Ore Slurry pipeline from Dabuna to Paradeep  
• 2 x 6 MTPA Pellet Plant at Paradeep, Orissa with expansion plans upto 24 MTPA  
• 2 x 2.05 MTPA Beneficiation Plant at Minnesota, USA with expansion plans upto 7 MTPA
• 2 x 2.05 MTPA Pellet Plant at Minnesota, USA with expansion plans upto 7 MTPA  
• 0.5 MTPA Steel Plant upgradation at ZISCO, Zimbabwe with expansion plans upto 2.5 MTPA  

The growth pattern envisaged over the next five years is good. The infrastructure in India has to grow by not less than 10-12 per cent. This year we have allocated 15 per cent of the total budget to infrastructure development.

Consumption of steel in the construction sector, industrial applications, and transport sector has been on the rise and special steel usage in engineering industries such as power generation, petrochemicals and fertiliser industry is also growing.