Rourkela Plant steel to be used by Indian Navy for making submarines

The Rourkela Steel Plant, a unit of Maharatna public sector undertaking SAIL, has received a certificate from the Indian Navy for producing high-strength steel for making submarines, a statement said on Sunday.

A high-level navy delegation led by Rear Admiral R Vishwanathan interacted with SR Suryavanshi, executive director (works) and other senior officers of the Odisha-based RSP here on January 13 for commercial production of DMR grade speciality steel, it said.

Senior officers of the chief minister's office and SAIL headquarters also attended the meeting virtually.

During the interaction, Vishwanathan said, "As a policy, the Indian Navy is using indigenous steel for its ship and submarine manufacturing. The RSP is fulfilling the needs of a tough and meticulous customer like the Indian Navy for the last 10 years...commencement of commercial production of the submarine grade steel will further strengthen our association."

He also hailed the RSP for its efforts in the field of environment and corporate social responsibility.

The RSP has so far supplied more than 7,000 tonne of steel, adhering to stringent quality specifications for use in various naval applications, a source of the unit said.

The special plate plant of the RSP that is dedicated for making steel for the defence sector has been relentlessly working towards developing new grades of customised products that can absorb high ballistic impact, the statement said.

The high-quality steel is being developed with years of research and several rounds of testing, it added.