Govt Announces Rs. 20,000 Cr Plan to Boost SAIL’s Bokaro Plant Capacity.

Union Minister of Steel and Heavy Industries, H D Kumaraswamy, unveiled a significant Rs 20,000-crore expansion plan for Steel Authority of India Limited's (SAIL) Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) on Monday. This ambitious project will increase the plant’s production capacity from the current 5.25 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 7.55 MTPA.

Established in 1965, the Bokaro Steel Plant began operations with a modest capacity of 1.7 MTPA and a blast furnace in 1972. The new expansion will bolster India’s steel production capabilities and contribute to the nation’s self-reliance, aligning with the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

The expansion will include key upgrades such as a new 4,500-cubic-metre blast furnace, a thin slab casting and direct rolling facility, a calcining plant, a stamp-charge coke oven battery, and an expanded sinter plant. These enhancements aim to strengthen India’s steel industry and meet growing demand.

Kumaraswamy highlighted the economic and employment impact of the expansion, which will create 2,500 permanent jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs. "This expansion is a testament to India’s commitment to self-reliance in steel production and aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a 300 MTPA steel industry by 2030," he said.

In addition to increasing production, the project focuses on sustainability and decarbonization. Bokaro Steel Plant aims to reduce its carbon emissions from 2.67 tonnes per tonne of crude steel to under 2.2 tonnes by 2030. The plant has also initiated renewable energy projects, including 30 MW of floating solar power, 20 MW of land-based solar power, and 100 MW of renewable energy procured through a power purchase agreement with Solar Energy Corporation of India.

Kumaraswamy further visited the Tasra coal mine, which is set to produce 3.5 MTPA of domestic coking coal by September 2025, thus reducing India’s reliance on imported coking coal. He also toured the Chasnala Washery, designed to reduce ash content in coal and enhance production efficiency.

"The development of Tasra and Chasnala is crucial for India’s self-reliance in coal supply, reinforcing the vision of a Developed India by 2047," Kumaraswamy added.

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