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Bhilai Steel Plant replaces 129-tonne converter hood at SMS-3 without an overhead crane

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Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) has replaced the 129-tonne, 52.5-metre-long hood assembly of Converter-1’s gas cooling system at Steel Melting Shop-3 (SMS-3), the steel ministry said on 14 October 2026. It was the first replacement of its kind at the SAIL plant and was done in a cramped space without an overhead travelling (EOT) crane.

Bhilai Steel Plant: Bhilai Steel Plant officials with the team behind the hood replacement
Bhilai Steel Plant officials with the team behind the hood replacement Photo: PIB (Government of India, free to use with credit).

Why the Bhilai Steel Plant hood had to go

The hood had suffered heavy wear from long exposure to hot gases, abrasive particles and constant thermal stress. That thinned the tube walls and caused cracks and repeated water leaks, which threatened equipment reliability, safety and steady production. The gas cooling system is made up of a movable hood, two fixed hood sections and two deflection bends. Dainik Bhaskar also reported the replacement, noting that it was done without a large crane.

Key Facts

  • Hood weight: 129 tonnes
  • Length: 52.5 metres
  • Location: Converter-1, Steel Melting Shop-3
  • First-ever replacement at the unit
  • Done without an overhead travelling crane

How the Steel Melting Shop-3 team did it

The work involved dismantling the old assembly, erecting the new structure, precise alignment and welding. Teams from the mechanical, electrical, operations and instrumentation departments worked round the clock under Tribhuvan Baitha, Chief General Manager of SMS-3, with continuous monitoring and safety checks. Vijay Kumar Behera, Chief General Manager-in-Charge (Materials and Utilities), praised the teams, and contract workers who played key roles received certificates and mementoes.

Workers honoured for the converter hood replacement
Workers honoured for the converter hood replacement Photo: PIB (Government of India, free to use with credit).

What the gas cooling system fix means for SAIL

The plant expects the new hood to make Converter-1’s gas cooling system more reliable and available, cut leak-related risks and reduce the chance of production stoppages. Converters are where molten iron is turned into steel, so a leaking hood can halt a line. The ministry said the job shows BSP can carry out complex engineering work under tough operating limits. It did not say how long the converter was offline.

Why It Matters: Fewer leaks and breakdowns in a key steel-making unit protect output at one of India's biggest public sector steel plants.

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Source: PIB · Dainik Bhaskar · Chhattisgarh Vishesh

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