Book Now

Interview with Tata Steel

Ahead of this year's AsiaCoke 2024, we spoke with Virendra Singh, Chief of Coke Plants at Tata Steel Meramandali, to get a sneak peek of what we can expect from his presentation on 'Managing High Roof Graphite in Top-charged Tall Batteries' Here's what he had to say...
 



Hi Mr. Singh, it’s great to have you joining AsiaCoke 2024! Please could you share an overview of what your presentation “Managing High Roof Graphite in Top-charged Tall Batteries” will cover?
  • Background of the issue of high graphite formation including operational hazards & loss of productivity
  • Mitigating strategy adopted before the issue was tackled and its impact on long life of the 7.6m tall battery
  • Reasons
  • Corrective Strategies implemented to resolve the issue
  • Benefits
Why did you choose to tackle this topic?
 
  • loss of productivity
  • Operational difficulties
  • Adverse impact on longevity of the battery which is one of the tallest batteries in the world – an expensive asset.
 
What do you think are the key challenges facing the industry in 2024 and 2025?
  • Geo-political issues impacting the logistics which would lead to uncertainty of end steel product prices
  • Pressure on coking coal prices & hence, focus to optimize coal blends
  • Worldwide focus on green steelmaking which will make fresh investments towards new coke plants difficult to come by and hence, importance of existing coke plants to operate efficiently with minimla impact on environment.
  • Focus to prolong life of coke plants keeping operating costs low
What are you looking forward to at this year's AsiaCoke Summit?
  • Connect with diverse stakeholders from coke making industry including raw material suppliers, plant operators and technology suppliers
  • Understand the issues facing the industry across the world.
  • Learn from the case studies which may be shared and apply appropriately
  • Experience of coke makers from across the world to tackle current geo-political issues.
  • How industry is managing the environmental issues of steel making industry, esp coke making.
  • How industry is planning to migrate towards green steel producing technologies.
 
Why do you feel it's important for people to attend at this event? 
  • To be aware of current trends in coke making industry with reference to coal market dynamics, coke making technologies, environment management and future strategies.
  • To network with diverse stakeholders of coke making industry who will be available at single location.
  • Stay connected with the industry and adopt learnings in our plants for improvement.