Asia Steel International Conference inaugurated in Odisha capital

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today inaugurated the 7th Asia Steel International Conference organised by the Indian Institute of Metals and Tata Steel here.

“The State Government has been providing support for development of mineral based industries through adoption of appropriate policies. Today, Odisha is producing about half of the country’s iron ore. Because of indigenous availability of such high grade iron ore, the critical input for steel making, Odisha has a competitive advantage for production of steel,” the CM said at the inaugural session of the conference.

“From the installed capacity of about 4 million tonnes per annum of crude steel in the year 1999-2000, the State of Odisha now has 47 steel industries with the total capacity of over 33 million tonnes per annum which is about one fourth of the country’s total installed capacity. The pellet plants in the State have an installed capacity of about 29 million tons per annum,” he said.

“I take this opportunity to invite the steel producers to set up their industries in the State with the best possible facilitation by the State,” Patnaik said.

Around 70 keynote speakers, half of them from countries such as China, South Korea, Japan, the Netherlands, Britain, the US, Germany, Belgium and Canada are scheduled to address the conference.

The conference will focus on different challenges faced by the steel industry, optimizing specific consumption of raw materials, especially coke and iron ore, how to use low-grade raw materials, along with decreasing the energy consumption in various iron making and steel making operations and, thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions.