Asia’s first Continuous Galvanized Rebar (CGR) production facility setup by Madhav KRG Group at Mandi Gobindgarh, Punjab, was inaugurated on June 29. The initiative is backed by Hindustan Zinc in association with International Zinc Association. Madhav Alloy’s plant will have an annual production capacity of 30,000mt of zinc-coated Tempcore TMT Bars.
The CGR Technology will be applied to enhance life span of rebars, reducing overall maintenance costs. The steelmaker has bagged the certification from CRU Group to use Tempcore brand.
Infrastructure growth
Union Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that CGR will cater to the infrastructure or construction sector. Galvanized rebars are environment-friendly and have good resistance to corrosion. They are cheaper than other corrosion resistance rebars. Resistance to corrosion in concrete structure is particularly needed in coastal area. The government’s investments in infrastructure and the necessity of ensuring longevity of such construction is bound to drive the galvanized TMT market to newer heights and in turn, the demand for steel too, said Pradhan.
Boosting zinc demand
India is the fourth largest producer of zinc, contributing 6pc of the global production with approximately 75pc of zinc being used in galvanizing. India has a coastline of 8,000 km and salty coastal conditions and temperatures lead to frequent maintenance requirement. The demand for zinc is bound to rise as CGR is well-suited for building infrastructure for power, telecom, highways, ports and bullet trains.
India loses 3-4pc of GDP because we don’t galvanise the structures. Galvanised rebars can help improve longevity of the infrastructure thereby increasing our GDP, said Vedanta Group CEO, Sunil Duggal.