Essar Steel commissions second Conarc Furnace

As part of its 10 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) steel capacity expansion project, Essar Steel has announced commissioning of its second unit of Conarc Furnace. With a capacity of 2.5 MTPA, the second furnace take total capacity of steel melt shop to five million tonne now. With this, Essar Steel has commissioned all steel making units, iron making and rolling units that are part of 10 million tonne expansion project barring a Corex unit which is slated for commissioning later this year.

According to the company, this will be India's largest flat steel facility at any single location and amongst the ten largest facilities in the world. It will also be one of the few steel facilities which are fully integrated and will produce the entire range of flat products. The total investment in Essar’s Hazira steel complex is US$ 6 billion (Rs 30,000 crore approx). The Conarc Furnace will be fed with inputs from Blast Furnace with a capacity of 1.73 MTPA (already commissioned), DRI with a capacity of 1.74 MTPA (already commissioned) and 2 Corex units of 0.87 MTPA of which one is already commissioned and the second unit is scheduled to commissioned in December this year.

Essar Steel has installed continuous caster of 1.45 MTPA. In addition, Compact Strip Production mill (CSP) of 2.5 MTPA has also become fully operational. The CSP is capable of producing strips of thickness as low as 0.8 mm, which is the thinnest rolled steel in India. The products from the mill have diverse applications in General Engineering, Line Pipes for Hydrocarbon Industry, Welded Tubes, Electrical steel, automotive industry and LPG.