Feb 8: The International Chromium Development Association held its Spring Meeting in Jaipur on February 3, which was inaugurated by the state Chief Minister, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. A large number of delegates -- over 150 of them from all over the world, associated with chrome ore and ferro chrome as producers, consumers or traders -- were assembled at the conference. Shekhawat express his happiness that a World Body had chosen mineral-rich Rajasthan as the venue for it.For the first time again a Chinese delegate spoke on the Chinese ferro alloys and steel industry. B Zhang, general manager, China Iron and Steel Industry and Trade (Group) INC, and vice-chairman, Chinese Ferro alloy Industry Association, said that in 1949 China produced 158,000 tonnes of steel and 11,000 tonnes of ferro alloys, mostly manganese and silicon.
Today, after about 48 years, production of steel in China had exceeded 100 million tonnes and the capacity in the ferro alloy industry had touched five million tonnes, the world'slargest.
Most of the technology was borrowed from the Soviet Union and the Chinese added their own. In the sixties, China reached a production capacity of 18.66 million tonnes in steel and in the eighties it was 37.12 million tonnes. It had now crossed 100 million tonnes.
Capacity in the Chinese ferro alloys industry was five million tonnes, he said, and in 1997 production was around 4.5 million tonnes and exports had touched a massive 1.4 million tonnes. The five million tonnes capacity in ferro alloys was distributed over about 1,000 plants and of these 18 large plants accounted for 2.3 million tonnes, 57 medium sized plants 1.3 million tonnes and 900 plants 1.3 million tonnes.
The Chinese ferro industry produced around 30 types of ferro alloys in three qualities.
The first type was of international standard, the second was of national standard, and third, while adhering to national standard, could sometimes fall short of it. Ferro alloys were propduced through all the processes, including electricsmelting and blast furnace for manganese alloys. There are a few furnaces of 100,000 kva, some of 50,000 kva, but most were of 6,000 kva or less. Large scale automation was taking place in the Chinese ferro alloys industry. Consolidation was also taking place.
The Chinese ferro alloy industry, he said, was now tuning itself to market realities. It was importing chrome ore and converting the same to ferro chrome and exporting the finished product. But it was finding that the current world prices of ferro chrome were not remunerative enough to justify conversion and exports and the industry was cutting down on production.
FV Vandrevala, vice-president (M&S) of Tisco, spoke on "The Indian chromite industry". CN Harman, technical director of Facor, spoke on "The Indian ferro chromium industry" and NC Mathur of Jindal Strips spoke on "The present status and future prospects for stainless steel in India." Dr FA Mehta of Tata Sons spoke on "The present and future economic scenario of India."
Coated SteelAssociation to be launched
A Coated Steel Development Association is being launched in India during the coming financial year, from April 1998. This was decided at a meeting in Mumbai held last week. At present coated steel sheets like galvanised steel sheets and colour-coated steel sheets are being used only in traditional areas like roofing, AC ducting, bins and containers. With the white goods and auto sectors now developing fast, there is a vast potential for expanding the application areas for these coated sheets.
Therefore, it is proposed to reach these sectors through a cooperative market development promotional body by customising these sheet products to increase the awareness of consumers on the economic and technical advantages of coated steel sheets. At present the market for coated products in India is limited and comprises only around 12 per cent of flat products consumption against a world average of 30 per cent.
In white goods and the auto sector, the use of galvanised sheets inIndia amount to a meagre 10 per cent and 1.5 per cent respectively--which indicates the vast potential market. The per capita consumption of zinc in India is only 0.15 kg as against the world average of 1.5 kg.
According to Mecon, the demand for coil coated sheets in India during 1999-2000 would be 36,400 tonnes in steel furniture, 33,000 tonnes in domestic appliances, 29,000 tonnes in window and door profiles, 10,000 tonnes in exterior cladding, 10,000 in bus body building, 45,000 in laminations, and 36,000 in others.
Production of GP/GC sheets in India was 639,000 tonnes in 1993-94, 774,000 tonnes in 1994-95, 841,000 tonnes in 1995-96, 987,000 tonnes in 1996-97 and 1,536,000 tonnes in 1997-98.
Prospective members of the Association are SAIL, Tisco, Essar Steel, Ispat, Jindals, Lloyds and most of the hot and cold rollers, galvanisers and a very large value-added steel sector.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
