Rourkela: Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) ended the year 2008 on a record breaking note by producing 2.25 million tonnes (mt) of hot metal and 2.14 mt of crude steel, the best ever figures since its inception.

The 2008 pruduction figures helped the RSP register a growth of 4.9 per cent and 6.2 per cent respectively over 2007 hot metal and crude steel production.

With this RSP surpassed the two million ton mark in the production of hot metal and crude steel for the third consecutive calender year, RSP sources said here today.

By finetuning its response to market needs, the RSP produced a record 4,83,835 tons of plate mill plates, 45,998 tons of erw pipes, 1,10604 tons of galvanised sheets and 17563 tons of electrolytic tin plates, marking a growth of 1.5 per cent, 33.4 per cent, 2.1 per cent and 19.7 per cent respectively over the previous year, the sources said.

During 2008, the steel plant recorded an all time low coke rate of 546 kg per ton of hot metal, which is a significant production from the previous year's 567 kg per ton of hot metal.

A difference of 10 kg in this parameter has an impact of Rs 48 crore on the operating profit of the steel plant in a year, the sources said.

Another important parameter in the blast furnaces was the hot blast temperature which had increased from the level of 964 degree centigrade in 2007 to the level of 978 degree centigrade.
Source : PTI