Indian state-run steelmaker Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has inked a pact with technology and automation major, ABB India Limited to drive digital transformation at its Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) in Odisha, a company statement said on Friday, May 23.
The collaboration will focus on deploying data-driven models and developing digital twins of the plant’s blast furnaces and basic oxygen furnaces in the steel melt shop. This initiative aims to improve operational efficiency, boost product quality, extend asset life, and support sustainability goals, the statement said.
The Rourkela steel mill which produced 4.08 million mt of finished steel in 2024-25 has an ambitious target to more than double output to around 9 million mt by 2030. The partnership with ABB India is expected to help SAIL realise this goal by optimising its ironmaking and steelmaking processes using advanced digital tools, it said.
ABB India will bring its expertise in automation, electrification, and data modelling to the project. “By integrating advanced data-driven models and leveraging digital twin technologies, we aim to revolutionise the steelmaking processes,” said Kapil Agarwal, senior vice president and local division manager, process industries, ABB India said.