Hub to add 200mt steel capacity
The Government has planned Rs.102 lakh crore National Infrastructure Pipeline such as inland waterways, shipping, and an industrial steel hub supporting projects.
“Our Government has come up with a Rs.102 lakh crore worth of National Infrastructure Pipeline. Whether it is pipelines, inland waterways, shipping, air or road, our Government is building infrastructure at an unprecedented pace,” Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said.
“Eastern India holds special focus in our infrastructure development efforts,” Pradhan said on 11 Jan 2020 in Delhi, adding that the integrated steel hub will be in Kolkata.
Pradhan, who is also the Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister, launched ‘PURVODAYA: Accelerated development of eastern India through integrated steel hub in Kolkata’.
Purvodaya in steel sector is aimed at driving accelerated development of Eastern India through establishment of integrated steel hub.
Eastern states of India (Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal) and Northern part of Andhra Pradesh collectively hold ~80% of the country’s iron ore, ~100% of coking coal and significant portion of chromite, bauxite and dolomite reserves.
The Eastern belt has the potential to add more than 75% of the country’s incremental steel capacity envisioned by the National Steel Policy, he said.
The region is expected to add 200 million tonnes steel capacity of the target to growing steel sector to 300 million tonnes by 2030-31.
There is presence of major ports such as Paradip, Haldia, Vizag, Kolkata etc., with >30% of India’s major port capacity, he pointed out.
The proposed Integrated Steel Hub would enable swift capacity addition and improve overall competitiveness of steel producers both in terms of cost and quality.
The Integrated Steel Hub would focus on 3 key elements:
1. Capacity addition through easing the setup of Greenfield steel plants
2. Development of steel clusters near integrated steel plants as well as demand centres.
3. Transformation of logistics and utilities infrastructure which would change the socio-economic landscape in the East
Growth of steel industry through such a hub would lead to significant employment opportunities across the entire value chain and will play a significant role in overall socio-economic growth of Eastern India, thus reducing the disparity between the East and other regions of the country. fiinews.com
