June 2017 – As part of its Make in India vision, the government of India recently announced its ambition to become the world's second largest producer of steel by 2030. This will involve trebling the capacity of crude steel production to 300 million tones (MT) and investing more in capacity building.

The industry has reported healthy growth in recent years – expanding capacity and footprint of steel mills across the country. ABB has been helping many steel producers in the country and delivering turnkey projects and advanced services covering instrumentation, controls and electricals for the country's leading iron and steel manufacturers – making high-quality steel reliably and helping shape India's infrastructure. This includes the recent 10+ million ton per annum (MTPA) integrated steel plant which is also home to country's largest blast furnace and sinter plant of 4 MTPA capacity. ABB India provided sophisticated solutions at this modern blast furnace that keeps the plant up and running smoothly.

At any plant, the quality of the steel produced depends on the chemical reactions occurring in a blast furnace that continuously operates at dynamic heat conditions with temperatures ranging from 800°C up to 1250°C as hot as molten lava. Any variations in the blast furnace or the sinter plant can lead to the disruption of the entire steel-making process and cause huge losses.

Know-how and know-why of the complexity and criticality of steel making, helped ABB India deploy a comprehensive electrification solution including switchboards, power distribution panels, HT panels and transformer to ensure reliable, efficient and uninterrupted power during this steel-making process. Also, ABB's energy efficient and low maintenance synchronous motors provided smooth start blast furnace blowers. The blower is critical to maintain the air flow within the furnace, and maintain optimal pressure. The ABB solution of sync motor and drives help the blowers start reliably within the shortest possible time, without any current spike or mains voltage dip.

ABB continues to strive towards excellence and partner in projects that are not only a step towards nation building but also a mark of India’s manufacturing strength.