Rourkela, Sep 30 (IANS): Union Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Sunday that the Rourkela Steel Plant in Odisha would be expanded while a modernised steel cluster would be set up in Rourkela.

"Rourkela Steel Plant located in the heart of the mineral rich belt of Odisha can be a leader in steel production in India and can contribute significantly towards achieving the target of producing 300 million tonnes of steel," said Pradhan.

Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) located in Sundargarh district has the installed capacity of 4.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa).

Pradhan, who visited the plant on Sunday, reviewed the present infrastructure, current capabilities and future prospects of the plant.

Informing that the plant is one of the best performing steel plants of the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), Pradhan urged the top management to recalibrate their approach and further leverage new technologies and digitalisation to enhance productivity and profitability.

He reviewed a presentation on the business, processes and performance of the Rourkela Steel Plant.

Officials of RSP will explore the options for localisation of consumption of the primary steel produced at the plant. This will ensure growth of the downstream steel industry in Rourkela, Pradhan added.