THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
ROURKELA, NOVEMBER 13, 2026
In a major boost to India's steel exports and its growing footprint in
the European market, SAIL's Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) on Friday dispatched its
maiden consignment of CE-certified Hot Rolled (HR) Plates to Belgium, marking a
significant milestone in its international business operations.
The first consignment, comprising around 2,500 tonnes of HR Plates, was
flagged off by Biswaranjan Palai, Executive Director (Works), on November 13,
2026, in the presence of senior officials, including Sunita Singh, CGM (PPC),
Subrat Kumar, CGM (HSMs & Aux), and Kaushika Sunyani, CGM (Traffic).
The consignment is being transported from Hot Strip Mill-2 (HSM-2) to
Paradip Port through railway rakes for onward shipment to Belgium, with Antwerp
designated as the destination port.
The landmark dispatch follows RSP's receipt of its first export order for
CE-certified HR Plates through the CMO's ITD Division on October 22, 2026. The
order, placed by M/s Dufferco, is for the supply of 10,000 tonnes of HR Plates,
measuring 14/15 mm in thickness and 1,800 mm in width.
The achievement underscores RSP's preparedness to cater to the stringent
quality and technical requirements of the European steel market. HSM-2 had
received certification from M/s DNV in November 2023 for manufacturing
structural-grade steel products conforming to CE marking requirements. The
certification covers HR Coils in the thickness range of 3–16 mm and HR Plates
ranging from 5–16 mm, with CE marking being mandatory for supplying such
products to the European market.
Adding to the significance of the achievement, the HR Plates dispatched
for export have been rolled using slabs produced by Caster-4 of Steel Melting
Shop-2 (SMS-2), demonstrating seamless coordination between the plant's
upstream and downstream production facilities in meeting demanding
international specifications.
The successful execution of the prestigious export order is the result of concerted efforts and close coordination among several departments and agencies of RSP, including SMS-2, Research and Control Lab, Production Planning and Control, Traffic and Raw Material, Roll Shop and other supporting agencies, along with the HSM-2 collective.
The maiden export dispatch is expected to further strengthen RSP's position in the global steel market, enhance its export credentials and open up greater opportunities for supplying value-added steel products to discerning international customers.
