All out efforts being made to enhance production of LMO and for dispensing the same
Mumbai, NFAPost: Steel companies, both Ministry of Steel owned Public Sector Units and other Private companies, have ramped up their Liquid Medical Oxygen production to take on the growing demand due to Covid-19 pandemic.
The move comes at a time when the country is battling the oxygen deficiency by importing oxygen from aborad.
Total daily Oxygen production capacity of Steel plants is 2834 MT. In the Steel Sector, there are 33 oxygen plants (both with CPSEs and in Pvt.) of which 29 are tapped regularly.
Production capacity
As against 2834 MT of daily LMO production capacity in the Steel Sector, the production of LMO is 3474 MT as reported on 24th April 2021.
This is higher than the LMO production capacity because most units have reduced the production of Nitrogen and Argon and only producing LMO.With all these efforts, 2894 tonnes were dispatched to different states on 24th April by Steel Plants in Public & Private Sector as against 1500/1700 Tonnes /Day a week earlier.
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.
Pressure Reduction
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 desired pressure.
Such plants can produce 5-6% maximum Liquid Oxygen (LOX) at the peak capacity, which is a highly pure product compared to the 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/hospitals.
SAIL
Steel plants in both public and Private sectors 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 800 tonnes per day.
Around 1150T of LMO was delivered on 23rd April, 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 yesterday has been 39,647 Tonnes.
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 1300 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 RINLVizag Steel Plant site on 22nd April, carrying 100 tons of Liquid Medical Oxygen to Maharashtra to meet medical exigencies of Covid patients.
