In an attempt to reduce cost of production, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant on Monday launched nitrogen pressure reducing stations. Higher rate of injection of pulverised coal in blast furnaces facilitates replacement of high cost coke with lower cost coal and thereby reduces the cost of production. It also helps in increasing productivity of blast furnaces.

VSP has three blast furnaces with an annual capacity to produce 7.3 million tonnes. In the direction of cost reduction, RINL team has taken initiatives and put efforts to increase its PCI (pulverised coal injection) rate from existing 100 kg/per tonne of hot metal to around 180 kg/tonne of hot metal in Blast Furnaces 1, 2 and 3 at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

At a program held at RINL, AK Bagchi, Director (Projects) on Monday inaugurated the nitrogen pressure reducing stations to enhance PCI in all the blast furnaces. These new units will help in reducing cost of production of hot metal and also increasing the productivity of blast furnaces at RINL.