Tata Steel's One Million Tonne Expansion Plan at its steel works in Jamshedpur was inaugurated by the Honourable Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Mr Arjun Munda. This Project had been launched to produce 1.0 Million ton per annum of additional steel over its current capacity of 4.0 Mtpa. This project will help Tata Steel to produce high quality steel and make it more energy efficient. This is its first step in its endeavour to reach 7.4 mtpa capacity at its Jamshedpur steel manufacturing unit. During the visit, the Chief Minister visited Power House 5, L D – 2 Slab Caster, Cold Rolling Mill (CRM), ‘G’ Blast Furnace.

While speaking on the occasion, Mr B Muthuraman, Managing Director, Tata Steel said, it is a historic day for Tata Steel. Applauding the Company’s achievements, he said, with all the added facilities Tata Steel moved one step ahead in the journey of being a World Class Company. He mentioned that the Company has always been ranked in the top four by the World Steel Dynamics and hoped that this year it may grab the first position. Taking pride on the facilities available in the Company Mr Muthuraman mentioned that today one does not have go abroad to see a World Class Company but just have to visit Tata Steel’s Jamshedpur steel plant. While informing about the future expansions, he told that by August 2005 a new Blast Furnace would come up at the Jamshedpur Steel Plant.

The Honourable Chief Minister of the State Mr Arjun Munda, during his address congratulated Tata Steel for attaining 5 million tonnes per annum capacity well in time. He said during the last 98 years the company has been steadily participating in the development of the Country and its people. He also thanked the Company for providing numerous avenues for the development in the State.

During his speech Mr Raghubar Das, Honourable Minister of Finance, Government of Jharkhand, thanked Tata Steel’s endeavour in making continuous and sustainable progress in the State. Describing Tata Steel as a cut above the rest, the minister said with the rich culture and heritage this Company cannot be compared with any other. He said Tata Steel is not famous worldwide as a steel making company but as a wealth creating and Nation building organization.

The expansion project includes, Raw Material Bedding & Blending Plant, a new Sinter Plant of size 204 sq.m to produce 2.0 Mtpa of Sinter & a Vertical Caster to produce high quality steels for the auto sector in the LD-2 steel melting furnace and Slab Casting Shop. One of the Slab Reheating Furnace has been upgraded to take care of the increased hot rolling capacity in the Hot Strip Mill. Over and above, the ‘G’ Blast Furnace has been re- built for increase in its capacity from 1.0 Mtpa to 1.8 Mtpa, which was carried out with the help of SMS Demag as a technology provider.

In order to make Tata Steel more energy efficient, rationalization of steam generation to meet the requirement of the plant has also been taken up as part of 1.0 Mtpa Expansion. Many units in Power and Steam area have been commissioned and put on stream. The existing Boiler No.7 has been successfully converted into a gas fired boiler. This will also help to bring down the pollution level and make these new plants more environment friendly . Also a new Boiler which is totally run on BF/CO gas generated inside the plant has been lit up on 7th April 2005 in the newly built Power House No.5. A 30 MW back pressure TG Set and the other boilers will also be commissioned in Power House No.5 progressively by September 2005.

The other units which are to be upgraded and commissioned under 1.0 Mtpa Expansion Project are : Caster No.2 of LD2 and Slab Casting Shop (being commissioned in this month), Slab Reheating Furnace No.2 and Finishing Mills at HSM (will be ready by May’05) and the Caster No.3 of LD2 and Slab Casting Shop ( will also be ready by May 2005 ) complete in all respects to produce 3.1 Mtpa of HR coils (the present capacity of HSM is 2.6 Mtpa) .

The power distribution system and the utility systems have suitably been augmented / restructured to meet the additional requirement of the newly built / upgraded plants.

Amongst the other dignitaries present during the function were, Mr. Arun Kumar Singh Secretary, Department of Mines, Govt of Jharkhand, Mr. Santosh Satpathy Secretary Department of Industries, Govt of Jharkhand, Mr R B B Singh, President Tata Worker’s Union, Mr Sunil Mahato, MP, Jamshedpur, Mr Saryu Rai, MLA, Jamshedpur.