Abstract

The expansion programme under taken to make Tata Steel a 5.0 mtpa integrated steel plant emphasised expansion of sinter making facility from 3.8 mtpa to 5.8 mtpa. A 2.0 mtpa state-of-the-art sinter making facility, sinter plant No.3, has been commissioned. It has a modern bedding and blending plant and embodies all the recently developed features in the sinter making technology. The commissioning trial was started in February 2005. The quality of the initial product is better than the specified parameters of performance. The performance achieved so far indicates it will be able to achieve its rated capacity in first year of its commissioning. Present paper documents the early performance indications, commissioning experiences along with salient features and specifications of the plant and machineries.

Introduction

The sinter making at Tata Steel is now over four and half decades old. First three decades with one plant, next one and half decades with two plants and now a third plant. It was started with the start of 1.2 mtpa plant in 1959. A second 1.37 mtpa capacity plant was added in 1989. The third plant is associated with its expansion programme. The very attractive trend and forecast of the steel demand in the domestic and global scenario prompted the Tata Steel for its expansion programme in 2003. Expansion is global. Now it will be a multi location, multi national steel plant. It includes green field plants at BanglaDesh, Kalingnagar (Orissa, India), Chattishgarh (India), Tantuposi (Jharkhand, India) and expansion at Jamshedpur. At Jamshedpur, the expansion programme is in two phases (i) 1.0 million tonne expansion programme making Tata Steel a 5.0 mtpa plant and a further (ii) 2.0 million tonne growth plan augmenting the capacity to 7.0 mpta. The 1.0 mtpa expansion programme was undertaken during 2003-2004. The objective of this programme was to increase the steel plant capacity from 4.0 mtpa to 5.0 mtpa and thus the full utilization of steelmaking and further downstream facilities. This is to be achieved without putting up new blast furnace or coke making facility. After completion of 1.0 mtpa expansion the 2.0 mtpa expansion project known as ‘growth plan’ shall be undertaken.

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