Tinplate to expand capacity by 3 lakh tonne

Tinplate Company India is embarking on a massive development programme with the help of its parent company –Tata Steel. In line with Tata Steel’s strategy to increase the share of value-added products in the sales mix, the capacity of TCIL is being expanded by 300,000 tonne (t) at a capital expenditure of around Rs 200 billion. After the completion of a three-year project starting this fiscal, TCIL’s capacity in Jamshedpur will go up to 6,79,000 t from the present level of 3,79,000 t. Used mostly in the food processing industry and beverages as a packaging material, the expansion comes on the back of strong demand from these sectors. Apart from the demand push coming out of urbanisation, tinplate demand is going up after the import of low-grade tinplate, which can cause health hazards, was stopped. Apart from TCIL, JSW Steel is the other major player in India that produces tinplate. While the new line will be ready by 2024-25, Tata Steel has set a target of 1 mt Tinplate capacity by 2030, in tandem with its own target to double primary steelmaking capacity. Tata Steel intends to reach 40 mt output by end of the decade and it would need enhanced downstream facilities to churn out value-added products.