SAIL Signs Digital Twin Pact with ABB India for Rourkela Plant

27 May 2025 CW Team

ABB India and Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) have signed a memorandum of understanding to deploy digital twin technology at the Rourkela Steel Plant in Odisha. The collaboration aims to improve efficiency, lower emissions, and modernise furnace operations through data-driven process models.

The partnership includes the development of digital replicas of blast furnaces and steel melt shop areas. ABB’s automation tools and real-time analytics will help enhance decision-making, improve product quality, and increase asset longevity. Rourkela Steel Plant, which produced 4.08 million tonnes in FY25, targets an output of 9 million tonnes by 2030.

SAIL’s Executive Director, Mr Biswa Ranjan Palai, called the initiative key to staying globally competitive. ABB’s Kapil Agarwal highlighted the role of digitalisation in transforming Indian steel manufacturing amid rising demand. Domestic steel consumption is expected to grow up to ten per cent in FY25.

The agreement aligns with ABB’s seventy-fifth anniversary in India and reinforces its commitment to industrial automation and sustainability across sectors like steel, cement, and mining.

Source:ABB India press release

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