Hazira plant: ArcelorMittal to double production of steel used for defence
Though the plant at Hazira has a capacity of 10 million tonnes per annum, it is currently functioning at 8.4 million tonnes per annum. This capacity will be increased to 15 million tonnes per annum by 2024.
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At the Hazira plant, the company manufactures steel that is used for building naval warships, submarines and launchpads for missiles.
FileArcelorMittal Nippon Steel (AM/NS) India Ltd looks to double steel production for defence purposes to one lakh tonnes per annum at its integrated steel plant at Hazira in Gujarat.
At the Hazira plant, the company manufactures steel that is used for building naval warships, submarines and launchpads for missiles.
“Defence requirements for steel are evolving. Though it occupies only a small portion of our current production, we are looking at producing one lakh tonnes of steel annually for defence purposes. Currently, we are supplying 50,000 tonnes of steel for defence. The Indian Navy is our largest consumer, followed by the Army,” Executive Director Santosh Mundhada said without specifying a time period for doubling the production.
Though the plant at Hazira has a capacity of 10 million tonnes per annum, it is currently functioning at 8.4 million tonnes per annum. This capacity will be increased to 15 million tonnes per annum by 2024.
“We have got most of the clearances and will soon begin the expansion. We want to complete the expansion in a record time of 30 months,” Mundhada said, during a plant visit organised by the company for media persons last week.
The company’s was used for building naval destroyer INS Visakhapatnam that was commissioned in November 2021.
“We are in a major way associated with defence manufacturing. Since the past 7-8 years, we have been supplying steel for defence purposes. Currently we are supplying steel for submarines, steel plates for main battle tanks and field-guns, steel for canisters of Brahmos missile, high-strength and corrosion-resistant steel plates for warships, and offshore patrol vessels, steel for missile launching pads, mobile bunkers and armoured vehicles,” the executive director said.
Going forward, the company, with an employee strength of 3,200, is looking to address the demand for steel from automobile manufacturing units in India.
“We are now looking to supply steel to more automobile manufacturing companies. India is still importing large quantities of steel needed for automobiles,” he added.
Last month, the state government had stated it has inked an MoU with AM/NS for investments worth Rs 1.66 lakh crore for six projects.
This includes an investment of Rs 45,000 crore for expansion of Hazira plant’s steel production capacity to 18 million tonnes per annum.
AM/NS had acquired Essar Steel India Ltd in 2019 and took over the operations of the steel manufacturing plant at Hazira, among other assets.
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