Billions spent on restoration of steel mill oxygen plant

Billions spent on the restoration of the Steel Mill Oxygen Plant was hampered, with the technical team proposing to import Pressure Swing Aid Surveillance (PSA) machines from China as an alternative and less costly.

According to Express News, the Federal Technical Team has prepared its final report regarding the rehabilitation of the Steel Mill Oxygen Plant, which has been sent to the Ministry of Industries and Production. Will brief

The federal technical team on Friday paid a detailed visit to the oxygen plant of Pakistan Steel Mill to review the current condition of the plant and the necessary repairs and other resources required for its reactivation.
The meeting, chaired by Steel Mill CEO Brigadier (retd) Shuja Hassan Khawarizmi, also discussed the possible costs of activating the plant. The meeting was attended by retired engineers of Army Engineering Corps and Steel Mills from Engineering Development Board.

Sources in the final report on the restoration of the plant said that the federal technical team has given a six-month deadline to activate the plant, but for the 132 KV line and sea water for the restoration of the plant. Billions of rupees have been estimated to be spent on repairing the constructed pipeline and procuring oxygen cylinders and other resources including logistics, which could be a major hurdle in the rehabilitation of the plant.

The sources further said that in case of getting 240 tons of oxygen per day, 10,000 to 12,000 cylinders with a capacity of 7 cubic meters would be required. At present, a cylinder with a capacity of 7 cubic meters is priced at Rs 35,000 in the market, while the logistics and supply chain costs of these cylinders will be in addition to this.

Sources further said that with the acceleration of Corona vaccination process, it seems that the plant is no longer very useful and after the corona’s condition is reduced or eliminated, the plant will be completely useless as the operation of this plant in the country. The future of other running oxygen plants could be bleak.

The technical team also suggested importing Pressure Swing Aid Surveillance (PSA) machines from China in the event of an increase in oxygen demand, which is a quick and inexpensive solution.