ROURKELA, SEP 3
The Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) has achieved a record-setting Blast Furnace Productivity of 2.488 tonnes of hot metal per cubic meter per day (THM/M3/Day) with two furnaces in operation. This surpasses the previous record of 2.384 THM/M3/Day set in July 2024. The operational furnaces, Blast Furnace-I (BF-1) and Blast Furnace-V (BF-5), each recorded their highest individual productivity levels of 2.114 THM/M3/Day and 2.653 THM/M3/Day, respectively, in August 2024. Notably, BF-5 improved upon its previous best of 2.516 THM/M3/Day achieved in July 2024.
In addition, RSP achieved its best Coke Rate of 378 kg per ton of hot metal (kg/THM) with both furnaces in operation. The Coal to Hot Metal ratio also reached a record low of 0.885 in August 2024, compared to the previous best of 0.90 recorded in November 2020. This success is attributed to RSP’s strategic operation of two Blast Furnaces aimed at cost optimization and improved techno-economics. The encouraging results reflect the collective effort to meet the set targets.
BF-1 and BF-5 recorded their highest outputs from April to August, producing 395,510 tonnes and 1,238,543 tonnes, respectively. On August 14 and 15, 2024, the two furnaces together produced 13,238 tonnes and 13,256 tonnes, setting new daily records. Additionally, RSP became the first unit within SAIL to introduce Biochar Injection in Blast Furnace #1 in collaboration with RDCIS in August 2024, marking a significant step towards reducing the carbon footprint in steel production.
