SAIL's Rs 62,000 cr expansion may be completed by FY14: minister

Work has already been completed at Salem steel plant, but is ongoing at its integrated steel plants in Bhilai, Bokaro, Rourkela, Durgapur and Burnpur

The Rs 61,870 crore modernisation and expansion programme of Steel Authority of India (SAIL) is likely to be completed next fiscal, Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma said today.

"The current phase of modernisation and expansion (of SAIL) is likely to be completed progressively by 2013-14," Verma said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.

SAIL has undertaken modernisation and expansion at its five integrated plants and Salem Steel Plant to enhance crude steel production capacity from 12.84 million tonne per annum (mtpa) to 21.40 mtpa in the current phase.

The current phase of modernisation and expansion of its steel plants is with an indicative investment of Rs 61,870 crore. The company has also made a Rs 10,264 crore provision towards investment in existing mines under raw material division and development of Rowghat mine, Verma said.

The Minister said of the proposed investment towards expansion and modernisation, Rs 37,395 crore has already been spent till January this year.

On the current status of the expansion programme, he said work has already been completed at Salem steel Plant, but it is still going on in SAIL's integrated steel plants located at Bhilai, Bokaro, Rourkela, Durgapur and Burnpur.

SAIL plans to increase steel-making capacity of Bhilai, Rourkela and Durpapur plants to 7 mtpa, 4.2 mtpa and 2.2 mtpa from 3.93 mtpa, 1.9 mtpa and 1.8 mtpa respectively.

In Bokaro, the plan is to raise the capacity to 4.61 mtpa from 4.36 mtpa now and in Burnpur, it intends to jack up the capacity to 2.5 mtpa from 0.5 mtpa now.