Cyclone Yaas: No disruption in oxygen supply and steel production

The Ministry of Steel along with the steel industry took precautions to ensure no disruption in oxygen supply and steel production due to Cyclone Yaas. To determine the possible effect of Cyclone Yaas on steelmaking and oxygen production, the Ministry of Steel held a meeting with all major steel players on May 23, 2021, including the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). According to estimates, plants in Odisha and West Bengal were only expected to be affected. In this regard, measures were taken to ensure no power failures. The conference even decided that for 2-4 days temporarily, the states which were dependent on Kalinganagar and Angul plants of Odisha would draw from Tata Steel’s Jamshedpur plant. Tata Steel representatives, who have plants in Odisha, confirmed that there was no impact of Cyclone Yaas on the Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) production on the Tata Steel plants. LMO was dispatched from all the attached oxygen plants in Jamshedpur, Angul, and Kalinganagar as usual without any disruption. According to the contingency plan, because of the impending cyclone, there was a decrease in tankers reaching Kalinganagar as they redirected to Jamshedpur. Steel Authority of India (SAIL) plants at Rourkela, Burnpur, and Durgapur also took precautionary measures. JSPL and JSW, who have plants in Jharsuguda and Angul in Odisha, were also prepared during the cyclone Yaas and did not face any interruptions. Image SourceAlso read: Cyclone Yaas impact: Oil and gas industry creates action plan Also read: Cyclone Yaas: Airports on the east coast place precautions