In A First, Bokaro Steel Plant Bags Certificate To Supply Steel for Commercial Ships

Steel Authority of India, the country's biggest state-owned steel producer said on Monday (26 February) that its Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) has become the first unit to receive the certificates from the American Bureau of Shipping and the Indian Register of Shipping, to produce normal and high-strength ship-building steel.

The steel that BSL will supply under this certification will be used in the hull of commercial ships.

The hull is a ship’s watertight enclosure, engineered to provide sufficient protection for the cargo, machinery, and passenger accommodations. Its most basic purpose is to safeguard against weather, flooding, and/or structural damage.

For the construction of the hull of a ship, mild steel containing 0.15 per cent to 0.23 per cent carbon, and reasonably high manganese content is used.

“The works approval certificate was given to BSL in February for hot rolled coils and plates, sheets in thickness ranging from 4 mm to 10 mm and width from 1,100 mm to 1,800 mm,” said Manikant Dhan, the chief of communication of BSL, in a statement on Monday.

BSL has long been a trusted supplier of steel for a range of critical naval applications, such as submarines, frigates, and diving support vessels.

With this certification, BSL will now extend its steel supply to include commercial ships as well.