Sajjan Jindal-controlled JSW Steel has become the largest private steel maker in the country, surpassing the century-old Tata Steel, with the commissioning of 3 million tonne per annum (MTPA) blast furnace at its Vijaynagar facility. JSW will be able to produce 7.8 MTPA steel, one million tonne more than Tata Steel, after the new capacity addition.
The new blast furnace is the largest in the country by capacity. This project has been commissioned in 31 months, one of the shortest durations, claimed the company. Over 20,000 people worked at the site during the peak of the project.
“With the commissioning of the largest blast furnace, JSW Steel has become the leading steel producer…. In this economic slowdown, the commissioning of the expansion project is a giant step towards making India proud,” said Sajjan Jindal, vice-chairman and managing director, JSW Steel.
Currently, JSW has 4.8 MTPA capacity, which includes 1-MTPA of Salem unit.
SAIL is India’s largest public sector steel maker with a capacity of close to 15 MTPA. Tata Steel was at the top among private players with an installed capacity of 6.8 MTPA.
Hit by the global economic crisis, JSW Steel had put on hold the commissioning of the new blast furnace for six months. However, marching ahead with its expansion plans, JSW Steel said it has achieved financial closure to further augment the capacity of the Vijanagar unit to 10-MTPA. The steel maker is also in the advance stage of setting up a 5-MTPA hot strip mill, which will be commissioned in the second half of the 2009-10.
