Blast furnace-1 'Parvati' in the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) of the SAIL has been rebuilt and was blown in today, the company said in a statement.
The blast furnace, rebuilt at a cost of about Rs 615 crore, blown in by RSP's CEO Ashwini Kumar, it said.
The Blast Furnace was taken down 5 times for relining and major repairs.
However, on August 5, 2013, it was demolished and a new furnace, which is much bigger and technologically more advanced, was designed on the same foundation, the release said.
The blast furnace 'Parvati' was first blown in on January 24, 1959 and it was dedicated to the nation on February 3, 1959 by the then President Dr Rajendra Prasad.