SAIL Taps ABB for Digital Twin Technology to Upgrade Rourkela Steel Plant

To upgrade operations and remain ahead of the competition in an increasingly competitive market, the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ABB India to digitally optimize iron and steelmaking processes at its Odisha-based Rourkela Steel Plant.

The cooperation is centered on the creation of data-driven models and digital twins for the plant’s basic oxygen furnaces and blast furnaces. These computerized replicas will give real-time observations about key processes, allowing SAIL to improve the efficiency of operations, minimize costs, and decrease environmental footprint.

The Rourkela plant, which produced 4.08 million tons of sellable steel in FY 2024-25, plans to increase its output to over double at about 9 million tons by 2030. The ABB partnership is being viewed as a strategic move towards meeting that target by leveraging automation and digitalization.

This collaboration is a big leap towards the modernization of our operations,” said Biswa Ranjan Palai, Executive Director (Works), SAIL. “The digital twin technology will assist us in optimising performance, enhancing product quality, increasing asset life, and remaining competitive on the global stage.

ABB will contribute its automation, process control, and data analytics expertise to the venture. “Through combining digital twin technologies, we look to change steelmaking for the better with greater efficiency and less environmental footprint,” said Kapil Agarwal, Senior Vice President and Local Division Manager – Process Industries, ABB India.

The action follows increasing perturbations in the steel sector, such as input cost escalation and stringent green norms. ICRA forecasts domestic steel demand to grow 9–10% in FY25. Long-term yearly growth is estimated by Deloitte at between 5% and 7.3% due to expansion of infrastructure and industrialization.

With India’s steel industry tipping towards digitalization and sustainability, the SAIL-ABB partnership represents a strong move towards reconciling conventional manufacturing with the latest technologies.