Jindal's Greenfield: 'From Mine to Mint'

BANGALORE, INDIA: Jindal Stainless Limited is all set to open the largest green field integrated complex for stainless steel, in Kalinga Nagar, Distt. Jajpur, Orissa.

Ajay K Dhir, CIO, Jindal Stainless Limited, said: "The Orissa plant, unlike other plants that have grown through Brownfield expansion over a period of time, will be Jindal Stainless’s largest green field integrated complex. Moreover, this is the largest, integrated; green field complex for stainless steel being built anywhere. It supports every operation, right from mining, power plant, hot rolling to cold rolling.”

“The plant has a capacity of 1.6 million tons per annum, and with the commissioning of this plant, the total capacity of the company will be 2.5 million tons per annum by 2012.

The first phase development of the plant, with an investment of Rs. 2,250 crores, is in its last stages and will be operational by October 2008. Whereas, the second phase, with an investment of Rs. 5,600 crores, will be operational by early next year. The plant will be fully commissioned by 2012, making Jindal Stainless one of the largest stainless steel manufacturers in the world.

Infrastructure management

“This facility is the flagship of our group, and huge investments have been committed to the project. IT is the backbone of our organisation and is deployed strategically as a business enabler. Approximately one percent of the revenue is committed to IT. With huge investments going into the project, it is important to manage and track costs efficiently,” he added.

Consolidation of infrastructure is the key. The annual IT plan and budget, which includes capex as well as opex, is prepared and monitored through SAP. For cost optimization, only those items are procured, which are essential for business and operations.

“We are already using SAP as a single application platform across the entire organisation, at all locations. In Orissa, since the project is in the erection and commissioning stage, the modules implemented are finance, sales & distribution, materials management and project systems. Once the production starts, we will extend it to other modules like production planning, quality management, plant maintenance, human resources and supply chain,” he avers.

A central control room is being created, where the entire view of the plant and technology operations will be visible. A separate environment management department has been established and an environment laboratory with state-of-the-art facility has also been approved. The task of monitoring environmental parameters is being outsourced.

Green Initiative

Provisions of high stacks and electrostatic precipitators in power plant, a well planned and well managed ash pond, incorporation of recovery type by product unit in coke oven plant combined with effluent treatment plant, incorporation of dust attraction systems in raw material handling plants, a 13MW captive power plant in the down stream of ferrochrome unit coupled with bag filter house, dust collection/extraction system in briquette plant, bag filters in Fe-Mn & Si-Mn plants have contributed to make the plant environment friendly. In addition, about 60,000 trees have been planted inside the plant premises as a drive towards green belt development.

Moreover, a sewage treatment plant of 65 cubic meters per day capacity has been commissioned to take care of the domestic effluent generated inside the plant.