The Hindu Business Line : SAIL posts all-time high Q1 production

STEEL Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has reported a sale of 1.66 million tonnes of finished steel during the April-June quarter, which is the highest-ever first quarter sales for the company marking a nine per cent increase over the same period last year, according to a company release.

The achievement was a combined effect of firming up of steel demand in the domestic market, better product-mix and the company's thrust on maintaining finished steel production at last year's level of 1.95 million tonnes despite lower production of hot metal due to coal shortage, the release added.

The company has also finalised its Corporate Plan-2012, which envisages about 17.4 million tonnes of saleable steel production from SAIL's four integrated steel plants by 2011-12.

According to the plan, the saleable steel capacity of Bhilai Steel Plant would stand at 6.2 million tonnes by 2011-12, Durgapur Steel Plant would be increased 2.8 million tonnes, that of Rourkela Steel Plant would go up to 2.55 million tonnes and Bokaro Steel Plant, the capacity would be raised to 5.8 million tonnes.

The production target fixed for the current fiscal is 10.91 tonnes of saleable steel.

According to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the Government with SAIL, the current year's production target for Bhilai is pegged at 3.75 million tonnes, for Durgapur it is 1.7 million tonnes, Rourkela is 1.65 million tonnes and that for Bokaro, is finalised at 3.5 million tonnes.

Apart from the four main integrated plants, SAIL has also fixed the production target for its Alloy Steel Plant at 0.12 million tonnes and 0.095 million tonnes each for Salem Steel Plant and Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant.