Steel Ministry to Produce Electrical Steels
The steel ministry is spearheading a Rs 500-crore public-private research and development project for indigenous technology to produce high value cold rolled grain oriented (CRGO), or electrical steels in India. Electrical steels, used in manufacturing static motors such as transformers, are priced at nearly Rs 1.5 lakh per tonne —five times the value of hot rolled coils (HRC) that are used to make cars and consumer durables. Globally, only a clutch of companies have the capability to produce CRGO and the technology is not easily available for assimilation. The Indian project will involve the Department of Scientific Industrial Research — National Metallurgical Laboratory (DSIR- NML), the ministry, Tata Steel and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam. If successful, it would be a significant breakthrough since CRGO grade steels will be produced in India for the first time. Currently, all requirements are met through imports. The venture would also mark a significant leap for the steel industry’s technology prowess. In the last couple of years, the country has emerged as the third-largest steel producer in the world and is in line to reach the no. 2 spot. A pilot plant will be set up at NML premises in Jamshedpur after a detailed engineering and project management report. A detailed project report has already been prepared and submitted by engineering consultancy Mecon.
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