New Delhi: Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) under the Ministry of Steel and other private companies in the steel sector are continuing their best to supplement the efforts in making available Liquid Medical Oxygen in this hour of need. Since the time India has been grappling with the COVID-19 crisis, the steel Maharatna PSU SAIL has supplied more than 40,000 MT of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) across the country, sources said (exact figures awaited). On average, SAIL and all of its plants are together supplying more than 660 metric tonnes of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) per day from its plants.
Steel plants in both public and Private sector are striving hard to supply liquid oxygen to different states. The Average delivery of Liquid Medical Oxygen by SAIL has been raised to more than 900 tonnes per day. Around 1150T of LMO was delivered on April 23, and the quantity delivered yesterday was 960 Tonnes. SAIL has been continuously enhancing LMO supply. Total Liquid Medical Oxygen supplied from SAIL integrated steel plants at Bhilai, Bokaro, Rourkela, Durgapur and Burnpur from August 2020 till Saturday, April 24 has been 39,647 Tonnes.
Producing close to 3000 MT medical oxygen daily
The total daily medical Oxygen production capacity of steel plants is 2,834 MT. In the steel sector, there are 33 oxygen plants (both with CPSEs and in Pvt.) of which 29 are tapped regularly. As against 2,834 of daily Liquid Medical Oxygen production capacity in the steel sector, the production of LMO is 3,474 MT as reported on April 24. This is higher than the Liquid Medical Oxygen production capacity because most units have reduced the production of Nitrogen and Argon and only producing Liquid Medical Oxygen. With all these efforts, 2,894 tonnes were dispatched to different states on April 24 by steel plants in the Public & Private Sector as against 1,500/1,700 Metric Tonnes /Day a week earlier.
Steel industry stands strong for India
Steel plant requires gaseous oxygen, primarily for steel making and for oxygen enrichment in Blast Furnaces, apart from some general purposes like lancing and gas cutting. Hence Captive Oxygen Plants in Integrated Steel Plants are designed to produce primarily gaseous products of Oxygen, Nitrogen and Argon and then routed through a Pressure Reduction & Management System (PRMS) to meet the process need at the desired pressure. Such plants can produce 5-6 percent maximum Liquid Oxygen (LOX) at the peak capacity, which is a highly pure product compared to industrial oxygen. Plants can only optimize LOX production by sacrificing some gaseous Oxygen and optimize process parameters.
In the meantime, all-out efforts are being made to enhance the production of liquid oxygen and for dispensing the same for which all oxygen plants whether in private or public are working 24×7 and dispensing oxygen. Steel plants are also filling oxygen cylinders and supplying to the States and hospitals.
As far as RINL is concerned, in the last FY 20-21, it had supplied 8842 ton of LMO. This FY, from 13th April till today morning, more than 1,300 ton of Medical Oxygen has been dispatched. There is an increase from 100 ton to 140 tons in the last three days. First Oxygen Express had chugged off RINL-Vizag Steel Plant site on April 22 carrying 100 tons of Liquid Medical Oxygen to Maharashtra to meet medical exigencies of COVID patients.
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