ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India Ltd (AMNS) looks to double steel production for defence purposes to one lakh tonnes per annum at its integrated steel plant at Hazira in Gujarat. At the Hazira plant, the company manufactures steel that is used for building naval warships, submarines and launchpads for missiles.
“Defence requirements for steel are evolving. Though it occupies only a small portion of our current production, we are looking at producing one lakh tonnes of steel annually for defence purposes. Currently, we are supplying 50,000 tonnes of steel for defence. The Indian Navy is our largest consumer, followed by the Army,” Executive Director Santosh Mundhada said without specifying a time period for doubling the production.
Though the plant at Hazira has a capacity of 10 million tonnes per annum, it is currently functioning at 8.4 million tonnes per annum. This capacity will be increased to 15 million tonnes per annum by 2024. Going forward, the company, with an employee strength of 3,200, is looking to address the demand for steel from automobile manufacturing units in India.
The company’s was used for building naval destroyer INS Visakhapatnam that was commissioned in November 2021.
AMNS had acquired Essar Steel India Ltd in 2019 and took over the operations of the steel manufacturing plant at Hazira, among other assets.
