On April 7, Indian steelmaker JSW Steel Ltd. (JSW Steel) announced that it registered highest-ever quarterly crude steel production of 1.6 million metric tons in the last quarter of Indian FY 2009-2010. The steelmaker's crude steel output in the period in question rose by 66 percent year on year and was up nine percent as compared to the previous quarter.
In the fourth quarter of FY 2009-10, the company also achieved record output levels for its flat and long rolled product segments. JSW Steel's flat product output in this period amounted to 970,000 metric tons, while its long product output totaled 320,000 metric tons, with year-on-year increases of 18 percent and 255 percent respectively.
Meanwhile, JSW Steel's crude steel output in FY 2009-10 was 5.99 million metric tons, witnessing a growth of 61 percent year on year. Taking into account the trial run production from the annual 2.8 million mt expansion project up to April 10, 2009, its overall crude steel production for FY 2009-10 was 6.02 million metric tons.
The company also stated that it successfully commissioned the first phase of its new 3.5 million mt hot strip mill at Vijaynagar Works on March 28, 2010. The new mill, capable of rolling strips up to 2,100 mm in width and within a thickness range of 1.5-25 mm, was supplied by Japan's Mitsubishi-Hitachi. The mill's production is suitable for special application in automobiles, boilers, structural, and oil and gas pipelines. Following the completion of the second phase, the annual capacity of the mill will further go up to five million metric tons. This mill will also enable JSW Steel to convert slabs to value-added hot rolled coils on its stabilization.