Major Indian Steel Plant Contracts For Orseal’s Oxygen Service Valves

UK valve supplier Orseal are further extending their reach into the Indian steel market, with two high-profile oxygen service valve contracts.

Published: 16th November 2017 | Issue 43

Orseal 16” flanged valve in Brass HTB1/Monel trim with pneumatic actuator

Orseal 18” full bore ball valve, Flgd Cl300RF, Brass/Monel for oxygen

Orseal 16” ball valve with Rotork actuator

Orseal are currently delivering oxygen service valves to Nagarnar - one of India’s largest steel plants. They are also fulfilling a contract for one of the largest EPC contractors in India as part of the upgrade of SAIL’s BF-1 at Rourkela Steel Plant.

The Nagarnar integrated steel plant of state-owned iron ore mining company NMDC is due for completion in December 2017, and Orseal valves are currently being delivered to the plant in India. Once commissioned, the plant’s blast furnace for manufacturing steel could emerge as one of India’s largest, with the 3 million tonne annual capacity likely to reach 50 percent production in the first year, according to an official spokesperson.

Industrial valve specialist Orseal, who provide flow control solutions for all fluids and gases, were commissioned to provide a range of oxygen service valves for the Nagarnar project, based on their considerable specialist experience of providing valves for highly demanding applications, including areas where extremely high temperatures are generated and processes where exceptional corrosion resistance is required.

Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) was the first public sector, integrated steel plant in India, and was the first steel plant in Asia to use the energyefficient LD process of steel-making. With a current production capacity of 4.5 million tonnes of hot metal, 4.2 million tonnes of crude steel and 3.9 million tonnes of saleable steel, the capacity of RSP is expected to rise to 10.8 MTPA by 2025. As part of the current upgrade, Orseal were commissioned to supply pneumatic quick shutoff ball valves for oxygen service.

Oxygen service has many inherent dangers and Orseal’s hazardous area expertise is particularly relevant for the steel industry, where oxygen service valves are needed. All materials will react with gaseous or liquid oxygen at certain temperatures and pressures. The reaction that occurs can cause a fire or, even worse, an explosion, making it vital for companies supplying valves to the steel industry to have a thorough understanding of system processes and material properties. Clearly, the selection of the wrong valve material could have disastrous consequences.

For the Nagarnar plant, Orseal’s Special Projects Division, which undertakes customised valve design and manufacture including valve packages, supplied from ¾” to 18” FB flanged valves in brass with Monel trim. These were trunnion mounted for 18” and floating for 6” and under, suitable for operating temperatures of up to 60ºC. Brass, which has under 2.5% aluminium content, is ideal for oxygen service and its hardness and corrosion resistance make it an ideal material for such a demanding application. Before dispatch, Orseal subjected the valves to a process of ultra-cleaning to remove all grease and any other materials that might react with oxygen.

For the RSP upgrade, Orseal supplied 16” FB ball valves, trunnion mounted and suitable for operating temperatures of up to 60ºC. As with the valves supplied for Nagarnar, the RSP valves are brass – ideal for oxygen service. The RSP valves are fitted with Rotork pneumatic actuators and, after ultra-cleaning of the valves, the actuators were carefully mounted and fully function-tested, as per the client’s requirements.

Both projects are still in build stage and the delivery schedule of the valves is paramount, so all necessary inspection was carried out in the UK, prior to despatch. All valves are now in transit to the clients’ premises in India.

Orseal valves have proven to be extremely reliable, rugged and efficient in steel production plants, where the very highest standards of safety and performance are vital.

Champak Fakira, Contracts and Sales Director at Orseal, commented, “We are pleased to have been selected for these high-profile major contracts for the Indian steel industry. Our hazardous area expertise, together with our vast product range, makes Orseal the ideal supplier for such projects and we look forward to continuing our development in this area.”

For more information on these projects, & to find out more about Orseal’s range and consultancy services, please use contact details below.

Tel: +44 (0) 1204 474 300
Email: sales@orseal.com
Web: www.orseal.com