Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has awarded a turnkey contract to SMS Group to modernize and upgrade billet casting facility at its Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP), in eastern state of West Bengal, a company statement said on Thursday, April 23.
The project involves the revamp of two existing six-strand, six-meter billet casters, originally supplied by SMS in the early 1990s.
The upgrade is aimed at strengthening DSP’s long product continuous casting capabilities and is expected to increase annual production capacity by more than 60 percent. As part of this, a new billet section of 150×150 mm, with provision for future expansion to 160 mm round billets, will be introduced to support the bar mill operations, including rebar and wire rod production, the company said.
The project will be executed in two phases. Billet caster number one is scheduled for commissioning in the fourth quarter of 2027, followed by billet caster number two in the third quarter of 2028.
Under the contract, SMS group will supply a comprehensive range of core casting technologies, including casting machines, ladle turrets, tundish systems, moulds, oscillation drives, and dummy bar and strand handling systems. The company will also provide process automation solutions and extend on-site technical support through its global delivery network, ensuring seamless project execution and lifecycle services.