India needs 30MT of coke making facilities

Visakhapatnam: RINL CMD P.K. Rath inaugurated a two-day National seminar on ‘Global Trends in NR-HR Coke Making Technologies’ on Friday in Ukkunagaram.

While delivering his inaugural address,  Mr Rath observed that as per the National Steel Policy 2017, India has a target to produce 300 million tonne (MT) of crude steel by 2030 and to achieve this target, 30MT of coke making facilities are required in addition to the existing envisaged facilities and coke import.

He highlighted the need to optimise the resources available and look for cost-effective technologies while setting up new Coke Oven batteries.

Mr Rath said that one of the current trends in the production of metallurgical coke is the Non-Recovery/Heat Recovery (NR-HR) ovens, presently located in China, India, USA, Brazil, Australia and Colombia.  

He said the advantages of NR-HR ovens over by-products or conventional ovens are:  low cost capital, high energy – efficiency, better environmental performance, increased coke strength and less pollution in the steel industry.

The RINL CMD expressed hope that the seminar would deliberate in detail and understand the technology and its advantages.

RINL Director (Commercial) P. Raychaudhury observed that Non-Recovery/Heat Recovery coke making technology would be a promising technology for future, particularly in developing countries such as India which is facing coal shortage.

He said that integrated steel plants such as the RINL play a vital role in bringing out new technologies to produce steel at a competitive price.

RINL Director (Finance) V.V. Venugopal Rao said that RINL is always in forefront  in adopting latest technologies in its operations, right from the beginning and has been continuing to upgrade the technologies to become a cost effective steel producer.