SAIL Rourkela ships first CE-certified HR plates to Europe

SAIL's Rourkela Steel Plant has dispatched its first consignment of CE-certified HR plates for export to Europe, marking a step forward in the Indian steelmaker's presence in the international market.

The first shipment comprised around 2,500 tons of HR plates and was dispatched on November 13 to Belgium via Paradip Port, with Antwerp as the destination port, the company said.

The shipment is part of a 10,000-ton export order received by SAIL's Central Marketing Organization from Duferco in October. The order covers HR plates in 14 mm and 15 mm thicknesses and 1,800 mm width.

Rourkela's Hot Strip Mill-2 received certification from DNV in November 2023 to supply structural-grade steel products meeting CE marking requirements. The certification covers HR coils in thicknesses of 3-16 mm and HR plates in thicknesses of 5-16 mm.

India's Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), inaugurated in 1959 in Odisha, is India's first public-sector integrated steel plant and a key unit of SAIL. Located in a mineral-rich region with strong rail links, it has a capacity of 4.5 mln tons per annum hot metal and 4.2 mln tons per annum crude steel, producing a range of flat products including HRC, plates, silicon steel, and pipes for the oil and gas sector.

SAIL currently produces around 20.6 mln tons of crude steel annually and is targeting an expansion to 35 mln tons per year by FY2031. The company operates five integrated steel plants and three special steel plants across India, producing a wide range of flat, long, special, and railway steel products.