India’s Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy unveiled an INR 20,000-crore (USD 2.3 bln) expansion plan for SAIL’s Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL), aiming to boost its capacity to 7.55 mln tons per annum. Established in 1965, the plant started operations with a capacity of 1.7 mln tons in 1972.
The planned upgrade includes a new 4,500-cubic-metre blast furnace, a thin slab casting and direct rolling facility, a calcining plant, a new coke oven battery, and an expanded sinter plant.
Kumaraswamy highlighted BSL’s commitment to decarbonization, targeting a reduction in carbon emissions from 2.67 tons per ton of crude steel to below 2.2 tons by 2030. The plant is also focusing on renewable energy, with initiatives including 30 MW of floating solar power, 20 MW of land-based solar power, and 100 MW of renewable energy sourced through a power purchase agreement with the Solar Energy Corporation of India.
Additionally, Kumaraswamy visited the Tasra coal mine project, which is set to produce 3.5 mln tons of domestic coking coal annually from September 2025, reducing India’s reliance on imports. He also inspected the Chasnala Washery, designed to improve coal efficiency by lowering ash content from 28pct to 17pct.
1 USD / 86.5 INR
