RINL bags Nat'l Energy Conservation Award,2006

New Delhi, Dec 14: Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) has been awarded the ''National Energy Conservation Award 2006'' in the integrated steel plant sector.

Mr Y Sivasagar Rao, CMD, RINL received the award from Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde at a function held here today.

This is the seventh time in succession since 2000 that RINL has been awarded National Energy Conservation Award.

In 2000, RINL was awarded the Certificate of Merit, in 2001 the second Prize, in 2002, 2003, 2004 the first prize, in 2005 the second prize, and again in 2006 the First Prize.

RINL was also awarded the special prize in 2004 for winning the first prize continuously for three years. No first prize was awarded in the year 2005. It is worthy to note that VSP is the only integrated steel plant in the country to have won the National Energy Conservation Award continuously since 2000.

It is remarkable to note that Specific Energy Consumption at RINL has been reduced from 7.5 Gcal (Giga Calories)/ton of liquid steel (tls) during 2000 to 6.08 G.cal/tls during 2006, a reduction of 20 per cent through implementation of various energy conservation projects.

The success of this achievement is mainly due to the focused thrust of the management to make Energy Conservation a mass movement with the involvement of all its employees.

To facilitate the initiative, RINL created an enabling environment for Energy Efficiency at work place by imparting continuous training programmes on Energy Conservation. It implemented various Energy Efficiency projects through quality circles, suggestion schemes and quality improvement projects.

RINL also developed around 80 energy auditors with the help of M/s National Productivity Council for promotion energy conservation and to undertake periodical energy audits. A unique aspect at RINL is the functioning of Departmental Energy Teams (DETs) in all major departments to spearhead the energy conservation movement.

The continuous thrust of Energy Conservation has helped in huge reduction in energy consumption in various areas particularly thermal energy and electrical energy.

The efforts have also helped in optimizing the thermal regimes at the operating units apart from improving productivity and maximizing waste heat utilization. The focused efforts have resulted in energy saving to the tune of Rs 54 crore in the year 2005-06 with an investment of only Rs 6.8 crore in 44 projects. In the last 3 years around Rs 160 crore have been saved through implementation of around 150 Energy Projects at an investment of around Rs 19 crore.

In line with the vision of President APJ Abdul Kalam, RINL has launched its Renewable Energy Policy with an aim to substitute 5 per cent of its energy requirement through Renewable Energy. As a forerunner to this policy, Pongamia and Jatropa plants have been planted for usage of bio-diesel upto 5 per cent of the total petro-fuel consumption and efforts are on for setting up of wind turbines for the generation of 10 Mega Watts (MW) in the near future. RINL has also contributed to the society by creating energy awareness amongst the residents of the township as well as children.

More than 350 children have been covered under the various energy conservation awareness programmes.

Plans have been drawn for introduction of energy efficient technologies as well as adoption of more waste heat recovery systems. The introduction of the planned facilities is expected to bring down the energy consumption by around 5 per cent in the coming two to three years. This will further strengthen RINL's leadership in the country on the Energy front.

UNI