RSP scales new high in H1 steel output

Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), a unit of the Maharatna Central PSU-Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has ended the first half (April-September) of 2011-12 with a saleable steel output of 1.01 million tonnes.

This is the highest ever saleable steel production of the plant for any April-September period since inception. RSP has recorded a capacity utilization of 121.3 per cent and a growth of 3.7 per cent over the corresponding period of last year.

The record output in saleable steel was possible because of the growth achieved in different finished products.

RSP registered the highest ever production for any April-September period in hot rolled coils (7,88,807 tonnes), plate mill plates (2,37,269 tonnes), hot rolled plates (1,64,059 tonnes) and electric resistance weld pipes (27,727 tonnes).

Besides, the plant rolled out 59,151 tonnes of galvanized sheets, signaling a growth of 4.3 per cent over the corresponding period of last fiscal.

In addition to this, the steel plant clocked production of 1.13 million tonnes of hot metal and 1.04 million tonnes of crude steel in the said period, thereby registering capacity utilization of 109.8 per cent and 108.9 per cent respectively.

Meanwhile, Gauri Shankar Prasad has taken over as the chief executive officer of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) on October 1, 2011. Before joining RSP, Prasad was the executive director of Centre for Engineering and Technology (CET)-Ranchi. Prasad joined SAIL in 1977 after completing his BSc in Mechanical Engineering from National Institute of Technology NIT-Rourkela. He commenced his career at the Plate Mill of Bhilai steel plant where he worked for around 30 years.