JSW Steel Ltd has announced the launch of its Cold Roll Mill 2 (CRM-2) facility at Vijayanagar works, Karnataka.

According to the company, this is the first and largest facility of this size and magnitude in India.

With India on road to becoming a global hub for automobiles, the demand for high end steel by the auto sector is likely to see an exponential growth.

The new CRM-2 complex, with a production capacity of 2.3 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), is the most sophisticated plant by configuration with capability to produce high strength and advanced high strength steel, both in uncoated and coated (galvanised and galvannealed GI and GA) categories and wider width up to 1,870 mm. The CRM-2 facility includes a continuous annealing line, which is the first to start operations in India.

JFE Steel, which has a 15 per cent stake in JSW Steel, has been providing technical assistance to develop various grades of auto steel, including steel for external panels for automobiles, to meet the high demand from both domestic and international arena.

Dr Vinod Nowal, Deputy Managing Director, JSW Steel said, “The CRM-2 is equipped with the latest technology to produce continuously annealed CR up to a strength level of 980 MPA (UTS) and auto galvanising line with capability to produce both GI and GA up to a strength level of 590 MPA (UTS). At present, the high strength and higher grades are mostly imported.”

JSW Steel has commissioned  the phase-1 of CRM-2 consisting of 2.3 MTPA Pickling Line coupled with Tandem Cold Mill (PLTCM), 0.95 MTPA Continuous Annealing Line (CAL-1) and 0.4 MTPA Continuous Galvanising Line (CGL).

The phase-2 of the CRM-2 plant consisting of 0.95 MTPA CAL-2 is targeted to be commissioned during first half of FY16. The new plant will be the cornerstone of JSW Steel’s growth story enhancing the share of value added products in the product basket of company.