Steel Minister Narendra Singh Tomar today launched a new rail welding complex set up by Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) at Bhilai in Chattisgarh at a cost of Rs 263.16 crore.
The new complex, which is part of the SAIL's arm Bhilai Steel Plant's (BSP) expansion, has a production capacity of 1.1 million tonnes per annum with latest technology to produce 260 meter-long rail welded panels.
BSP is the sole supplier of rail to the Indian Railways.
"The ongoing modernisation and expansion of BSP would soon be completed and production from this plant would consequently increase," Tomar said after the launch.
Minister of State for Steel Vishnu Deo Sai, State Minister for Higher Education Prem Prakash Pandey, Steel Secretary Aruna Sundararajan were among others present at the launch.
Asserting that there is lot of expectation from the SAIL, Tomar said the state-run company would not stop at 23 million tonnes capacity after its current programme, but would achieve 50 million tonnes by 2025, SAIL said in a statement.
BSP has an annual production capacity of 3.153 million tonnes of saleable steel.
