Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has commissioned a new Ladle Furnace 2D (LF#2D) at the Steel Melting Shop-II (SMS-II) of its Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) on 11 June 2025. The commissioning is part of the plant’s Caster-IV project and is expected to enhance the timely and efficient supply of liquid steel to the new slab caster as well as to the existing Casters #1, #2, and #3.
The project was executed by SMS India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, as the consortium leader, in collaboration with SMS group GmbH, Germany. The project involved coordination between various internal teams at RSP, including the Project Department, SMS-II, Power Distribution, and Safety Engineering.
The LF#2D facility is equipped with a 30 MVA furnace transformer, a water-cooled ladle roof, a hydraulic roof-lifting system, advanced electrode handling assemblies, and a mechanised ferro-alloy feeding system.
Additional features include centralized lubrication, inert gas stirring for bath homogenization, emergency top lancing provisions, and systems for precise temperature measurement and CELOX-based oxygen level measurement. An automated sampling system, a fume exhaust system, and an Al/CaSi wire feeding unit are also part of the installation.
SAIL stated that the commissioning process followed all safety protocols and was completed with zero incidents.
SAIL is a public sector steel manufacturing company with integrated steel plants and special steel units across India. The company produces a wide range of steel products for various sectors.
