by Ashis Sinha
SAIL- Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) has achieved a significant milestone by obtaining license from Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for IS 11587:1986 “Weathering Resistant Structural Steel”, for rolling steel as per specified standards.
BSL has obtained license from BIS for rolling steel grades WR-Fe 480A (weather-resistant structural steel for general use), WR-Fe 480B (low phosphorus micro-alloyed weather-resistant structural steel) and WR-Fe 490H (for container manufacturing), which could be able to eliminate India’s dependence on China, informed a Public Relation Official of BSL. And the production of these grades at Bokaro Steel Plant as an import substitute will strengthen the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, he said.
It’s worth noting that India needs roughly 3.5 lakh containers annually, but the country does not make any of its own; instead, it relies heavily on China, the world’s largest producer of containers. Because of the shortage, it was thought that India would no longer have to buy containers from China if they could be made there.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, a worldwide scarcity of shipping-grade containers was noted. As a result of laws and regulations enacted by several nations, many containers were delayed in transit or could not leave their respective ports.
Rapid growth in demand backed up harbours and halted building efforts all contributed to the severity of the crisis. As a result, shipping companies around the world had to impose steep price increases on container freight. This impacted both ends of India’s export-import supply chain.
In June 2022, an inter-ministerial team was formed on the Prime Minister’s Office’s directions to analyse the subject and prepare a plan to create capacity for producing shipping-grade containers in India. During its interactions with industry stakeholders, the Committee discovered that the exact steel used to make the containers were not available in Indian standards.
BIS was made aware of the situation, and as a result, it has revised its Indian Standard (IS 11587:1986) so that it can be used for both domestic and EXIM trade, and it has also established new grades. This was done because domestic container makers wanted their products to be used in domestic trade and trade with other countries. The new material, which goes by the name WR – Fe 490H and is interchangeable with corten steel, has recently been developed.
BSL, a leading steel manufacturer, has secured a BIS licence for the above steel grades. BSL manufactures weather-resistant steel “SAILCOR” in the form of hot and cold rolled coils, plates, and sheets on a regular basis. It is an indigenous comparable grade of Corten steel that is utilised for weather resistant structural/wagon construction by Indian Railways.
