VISA Steels to cut down production cost

VISA Steels has acquired the Stamp Charging Coke Technology, which will allow it to blend semi soft coal and local coal, thereby reducing on the import of coal. This, the company expects, will also cut down the cost of coke production by about Rs 400 per tonne.

The 400,000 tpa Coke Oven Plant, which will be commissioned in phases from March, will use the latest stamp charging coke technology. This technology will help to blend semi-soft coal with local coal without compromising on the quality. This way, the company can cut down on the import costs of the coal.

The technology was acquired through exchange of resources between Visa Steels and a Chinese partner. The company has technological knowledge exchange with some Chinese people. This technology was acquired after supervising and development.

When contacted, technical officials confirmed, "This will allow us to produce coke from coal by less than Rs 400 per tonne as compared to the other Indian companies."

The technology heat the coal, allows it to sweat and expand before stamping the coal thereby, allowing to maintain the quality of coal.

The company has invested about Rs 160 crore in the project. The technology is expected to boost the company's objective of becoming a major low cost producers of special and stainless steel.

This is the second project of the company in the modular form of expansion. In all, the Coke Oven Plant will consist of eight ovens witah 88 batteries and two chimneys.

Barring a couple of major company, most steel companies in the country depend on imported coal.

The import is often subjected to volatile market fluctuations. However, the actual ratio of mixing semi-soft coal and local coal cannot be determined now.

However, the actual ratio can be determined only after the coke oven starts and production begins.

The technology was implemented after the civil work, refractory lining and mechanical equipment were brought in before the charging technology was finalised.