Indian state-run steel producer Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) has commenced production of larger dimension billet (125 mm x 125 mm) through modification of its medium merchant structural mill (MMSM), a company official said on Friday, May 29.
The official said that until now the mill was able to produce billets of 90 mm x 90 mm dimensions and expansion of the production portfolio to include larger dimension billets will enable RINL to further leverage the domestic and export markets for semis.
He said that trial production had been successful for grade IS: 2830 and the mill modifications will enable RINL to produce other grades depending on demand in the local and overseas markets.
Meanwhile, commenting on developments at its steel mill located in the southern Indian port town of Vishakhapatnam, the official said that work was ongoing to normalize operations of its 6.7 million mt plant within the next few months.
He said that currently only one of RINL’s three blast furnaces is in operation, producing about 7,000 mt of crude steel per day, involving 14,000 workers or about one third of its total workforce and as demand for long products from key consuming sectors like construction revives over the next few months, the company will bring idling blast furnaces back into operation in phases.