Rourkela: In a significant step towards strengthening quality assurance and meeting the evolving needs of its customers, SAIL, Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) signed a contract with M/s Sterling and Wilson Private Limited in a function held at ED Projects Conference Hall on 4th July, 2025 for setting up a state-of-the-art Product Testing Laboratory. The laboratory will cater to the enhanced testing requirements of New Plate Mill (NPM), Special Plate Plant (SPP), and Hot Strip Mill-2 (HSM-2).

The contract signing ceremony was held in the presence of Dillip Kumar Sahoo, CGM (Projects) & Officiating ED (Projects), and was attended by senior officials of RSP and SAIL-CET, Ranchi.

The upcoming facility is envisioned to meet the increased product testing demands arising from the augmented capacities of New Plate Mill (NPM), Special Plate Plant (SPP), and Hot Strip Mill-2 (HSM-2). The lab will be equipped with modern testing infrastructure to ensure timely analysis of special steel grades produced by these mills. This will, in turn, facilitate prompt dispatches and more efficient inventory management.

Importantly, the laboratory will be developed in line with NABL accreditation standards, thereby meeting stringent quality norms expected by high-profile customers. It will also support third-party inspections and cater to prospective clients who wish to verify product quality at the source.

Following commissioning and stabilization, the laboratory will be taken up for NABL certification by Research & Control Lab (R&C Lab) of RSP. The implementation period of the project is 25 months from the effective date of the contract. The project will be executed by the Projects Department of RSP, with consultancy support from M/s CET, Ranchi.

This strategic initiative reinforces RSP’s focus on quality, customer-centricity, and readiness to serve the dynamic needs of the steel industry.