The Steel Plants that comes under the Public Sector of India are mentioned below:
Steel Plants
1. Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (Andhra):
The Union Cabinet, in June 1979, approved an investment of Rs. 3,897 crores for setting up a 3.4 million tonne public sector steel plant at Visakhapatnam in collaboration with the erstwhile USSR. It was the first integrated steel project to be set up in the southern region.
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Many modern technological features have been incorporated in the design of VSP e.g., seven metre tall coke-oven batteries with dry quenching facilities, bigger blast furnace of 3,200 cubic metres, cent per cent continuous casting facilities etc. The plant produces wire rods, billets, universal beams, light and medium steel products and granulated slag.
2. Rourkela Plant (Orissa):
Set up by the Government of India at a cost of Rs. 171 crores in collaboration with a German combine M/s Krupp and Demag. Special categories of steel required for automobile industry, railway rolling stock and ship-building are being produced.
Sources of raw materials – Iron from Bansura Iron mines, about 80 kms from Rourkela, coal from Kargali-Bokaro and Jharia, limestone from Birmitrapur-Hathiabari and water supply from Mandsia Dam. The first blast furance started production in February, 1959. Slag from Rourkela is used for the manufacture of fertiliser.
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3. Bhilai Plant (M.P.):
Pig iron, ingots, rails of heavy and medium structures, Light structural sleeper beds and billets are being produced. Sources of raw materials iron from Dallia Rajara, coal from Korba, manganese from nearby Bhandara in Balaghat district and limestone from Birmitrapur-Hathiabari deposits. The Bhilai steel plant celebrated its Silver Jubilee in early 1984.
4. Durgapur Plant (West Bengal):
Estimated cost Rs. 288 crores. The plant gets iron ore from the Bolari mines in Orissa, coal from Jharia, limestone from Rourkela and water supply from the Damodar River. Pig iron tools, special steel, ingots and alloys are produced.
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The Durgapur plant has been plagued by labour indiscipline since its very inception. It has seldom produced more than 50 per cent of its rated capacity. Foreign collaborators have suggested scrapping of the existing plant.
5. Mysore Iron and Steel Works, Bhadrawati:
It has been nationalised and the production has since increased. It was renamed V.I.S.L (Visvesvaraya Iron & Steel Ltd.). Major modernisation and expansion programme was launched with the German assistance.
6. Bokaro Steel Plant (Bihar):
It was originally to be financed by U.S.A. Later the U.S. Government refused to finance a project in the public sector; the erstwhile USSR stepped in to finance this project. Its initial capacity was 1.7 million tonnes, which is to be increased to 5.8 million tonnes. It went into production in 1973. A third blast furnace was commissioned by the President in February 1978.
