In a commendable stride towards industrial efficiency and sustainability, Sinter Plant-III of SAIL, Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) has implemented a series of innovative, cost-effective, and eco-friendly initiatives during the FY 2024-25 and has emerged as the Runners-Up Department of the Year 2024-25 in Annual Performance Awards.
A standout among these achievements is the in-house fabrication and erection of the Waste Heat Recovery System (WHRS). This pioneering project captures waste heat from the sinter cooler and repurposes it to heat water used in the Nodulizer. It has resulted in notable enhancement in the quality and efficiency of the Green Mix, leading to a reduction in Coke consumption by 2 kg per ton of sinter, which translates into annual savings of approximately Rs. 24.3 crore.
Sinter Plant-III has also made significant headway in automation and digitalization. The Distributed Control System (DCS) was successfully upgraded from PCS 7.1 to PCS 9.1, ensuring smoother, more reliable operations. In line with RSP’s digital transformation journey, a mobile application was developed in-house to deliver real-time critical data on plant status—fostering quicker decision-making and enhanced operational oversight.
Another noteworthy achievement includes the prevention of idle running of despatch conveyors (FS-2, FS-4, and RSC-3). This was achieved through in-house modifications in PLC logic, leading to significant power savings and prolonged equipment life. The plant also implemented automation in sinter despatch to Blast Furnace-V, eliminating delays during trolley changes and ensuring seamless material flow to the furnace bunkers.
Crowning the list of accomplishments, Sinter Plant-III recorded the lowest yearly heat consumption of 18.8 MCal/TOS, outperforming the Annual Business Plan (ABP) benchmark of 19.5 MCal/TOS.
These impactful initiatives underscore the team’s technical excellence and commitment to sustainability and RSP’s relentless pursuit of innovation and performance excellence.
