History
The governments of India and the USSR entered into an agreement, signed in New Delhi on 2 March 1955, for the establishment of an integrated iron and steel works at Bhilai with an initial capacity of one million tons of steel ingot.
The main consideration for choosing Bhilai was the availability of iron ore at Dalli Rajhara, about 90 km from the site; limestone from Nandini, about 22 km from the plant, and dolomite at HIRRI, 41 km away. The plant was commissioned with the inauguration of the first blast furnace by then president of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, on 4 February 1959. The plant was expanded to 2.5 million tons in September 1967 and a further expansion to 4 MT was completed in 1988. The main focus in the 4 MT stage was the continuous casting unit and the plate mill, a new technology in steel casting and shaping in India.
Read more about this topic: Bhilai Steel Plant
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