Bhubaneswar/ Tokyo: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik led a high-powered delegation to the Kimitsu Steel Works of Nippon Steel Corporation (NSC) on Thursday. The team, which was given a tour of the facility, was briefed about the plant.
The delegation’s visit to NSC’s Kimitsu Steel Works provided an opportunity for the delegation to learn about the latest technologies and processes used by NSC in the production of steel.
The Kimitsu plant was established on land reclaimed from the sea and used environmentally sustainable green technologies. The depth of the sea used to be more than 10 metres and the plant has a large campus with green tree belts.
Kimitsu Steel Works produces diversified specialised steel products used for various downstream industries like automobiles.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister expressed his admiration for the state-of-the-art facility and the commitment of NSC towards excellence in steel production. He discussed the use of similar green technologies for the plants coming up in the Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha. The proposed plants will also focus on specialised steel products which will enable downstream industries in Odisha.
Patnaik highlighted the immense potential for collaboration between NSC and Odisha, given the state’s rich mineral resources and potential in the steel sector. He also assured the NSC officials about the committed support of the Government of Odisha for Arcelor Mittal-Nippon Steel (AM/NS), which is developing integrated steel plants at Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur in Odisha. The projects will use huge volumes of iron ore fines which will help in the value addition of the mineral within Odisha in comparison to the current trend of exporting iron ore fines.
The Chief Minister expressed his appreciation for the warm hospitality extended by NSC to the delegation and conveyed his hope that the visit would contribute to strengthening the relationship between NSC and Odisha.
