New Delhi, July 12 (IANS) Union Minister for Steel, H.D. Kumaraswamy, on Sunday commenced his three-day visit to West Bengal with an extensive review of the IISCO Steel Plant (ISP) at Burnpur and inaugurated the new RCC water reservoir to meet the requirement of further expanding the capacity of the plant in the future, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Steel.

The visit covered a comprehensive assessment of the plant’s ongoing expansion projects, production facilities, infrastructure, sustainability initiatives and workforce welfare, reaffirming the Government of India’s commitment to strengthening India’s public sector steel ecosystem.

The newly constructed Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) Water Reservoir has a storage capacity of 84,000 cubic metres, developed to meet the water requirements of COB-10 while also supporting the future 4.08 MTPA Expansion Project at IISCO Steel Plant under the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).

Officials told the Union Minister that the integrated system comprises a newly constructed Booster Pump House, a dedicated Pump House for COB-10 and a Process Water Pump House, currently under construction, which will establish a closed-loop water circulation system to maximise water conservation, minimise losses and significantly improve operational efficiency.

Union Minister Kumaraswamy began his visit with an inspection of the COB-12 (Stamp Charge Coke Oven Battery) Project, one of the flagship capacity augmentation initiatives at IISCO.

Senior officials briefed him on the progress of the project, including the Battery Proper, Coke Dry Cooling Plant (CDQ), By-Product Plant and advanced environmental protection systems that are expected to significantly enhance operational efficiency while promoting sustainable steel production.

Reviewing the project, Kumaraswamy emphasised that timely completion of strategic expansion projects would play a crucial role in strengthening India’s steel manufacturing capabilities.

Kumaraswamy later inspected the plant’s blast furnace and reviewed its operational performance, production parameters and ongoing modernisation initiatives.

During the review, officials informed the Union Minister that the plant had achieved 2.9 million tonnes of hot metal production during FY 2025-26, reflecting a strong operational performance and sustained improvements in productivity.

Union Minister Kumaraswamy also visited the Blast Furnace Control Room, where he witnessed live operations and interacted with engineers and employees managing one of the plant’s most critical production units.

A comprehensive review meeting on the overall performance of IISCO Steel Plant was subsequently chaired by the Union Minister.

The meeting was attended by SAIL Chairman and Managing Director Ashok Kumar Panda, the Director In-Charge of IISCO Steel Plant, Executive Directors and senior officials of SAIL.

The discussions focused on production performance, operational efficiency, ongoing modernisation projects, capacity expansion, sustainability initiatives, capital expenditure, technology adoption and future growth strategies for the plant.

He also appreciated the substantial increase in capital expenditure at the plant, noting that IISCO had achieved a capital expenditure of Rs 1,860 crore during FY 2025-26, compared to Rs 689 crore in the previous financial year.

Kumaraswamy stressed that worker safety would remain the Union government’s foremost priority.

“Nothing is more important than the life and well-being of every worker. I am pleased to see IISCO embracing digital technologies and AI-enabled safety interventions that are transforming it into a safer, smarter and more efficient steel plant,” the Union Minister said.

During the visit, Agnimitra Paul, West Bengal Minister for Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, called on the Union Minister Kumaraswamy at the IISCO Steel Plant.

The two leaders discussed the importance of stronger Centre–state coordination in accelerating industrial development, strengthening the steel sector, attracting investments and generating employment opportunities.

–IANS

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