All units at VSP back in action: RINL

VISAKHAPATNAM: Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) on Sunday said production has been restored at all units of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), which was affected by Cyclone Hudhud.

In a release, RINL said the revival of raw material handling facilities, coke ovens, blast furnaces and SMS-1 was completed by October 22 after one of the power lines was restored. The second line for supply of additional 50 MW power was energised on October 27 with the help of APTransco and PowerGrid, enabling RINL to revive the wire rod mill-1 on October 31, and the steel melt shop (SMS-2) and MMSM on November 1. The rolling in LMMM, where furnace heating started on October 30, began working on Sunday, the release added.

RINL said repairs to the roof have also been taken up on a war footing and work in critical areas has already been completed. The state-run steel major said the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) is supplying necessary material on priority basis and the balance work on sheeting is expected to be completed in the next two or three weeks.