Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), operating under Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), has successfully revived operations of its Blast Furnace-1, also known as ‘Godavari,’ on 28 October. This development comes after after being non-operational for six months. The furnace had been shut down on May 14, 2024, due to a shortage of raw materials including coal and iron ore.
A ceremony was held to mark the resumption of production, and it was led by VSP Chairman and Managing Director, A K Saxena, along with key officials. The revival of Blast Furnace-1 is expected to increase production by approximately 200,000 metric tonnes (MT) of steel per month. This will be a much-needed boost to the plant, which has been struggling with supply chain issues.
Before the shutdowns, all three blast furnaces—Godavari (Blast Furnace-1), Krishna (Blast Furnace-2), and Annapurna (Blast Furnace-3)—produced around 21,000 tonnes of steel daily. However, due to persistent raw material shortages, Blast Furnace-3 was also halted in September 2024, leaving only Blast Furnace-2 operational with an annual output of 2.5 million tonnes.
The restart of Blast Furnace-1 is seen as a step in the right direction for the plant, which has been facing ongoing operational challenges, including concerns about potential privatisation.
Production from Blast Furnace-1 at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant is expected to begin in about 20 days, further stabilizing the plant’s output and providing relief to its workforce.
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