COVID-19 surge: CII sets up task force on oxygen supply chains
It will work with the Central and State governments to reinforce supply amid extreme scarcity of medical oxygen because the variety of COVID-19 instances proceed to rise.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Tuesday mentioned it had shaped a task force on ‘oxygen supply chain’ to work with the Central and State governments to reinforce supply amid extreme scarcity of medical oxygen because the variety of COVID-19 instances proceed to rise.
The task force would work in the direction of home capability enhancement and imports; logistical points between States, together with transportation, non-availability of cylinders and policy-level interventions, the trade physique mentioned in a press release.
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“With unprecedented rise in COVID-19 cases and acute shortage of medical oxygen pushing the hospitals in the country to the edge, India Inc has come forward to lend a helping hand to strengthen the fight against the pandemic,” it added.
Companies, together with industrial majors corresponding to Tata Group, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), JSW Group, Adani, ITC, and Jindal Steel and Power, are serving to hospitals by supplying medical oxygen, cryogenic vessels, moveable concentrators and turbines.
Seshagiri Rao M.V.S., Chairman, CII Task Force on Oxygen Supply Chain and Joint Managing Director and Group CFO, JSW Steel Ltd., mentioned, “Efforts are on to further increase oxygen supplies from steel plants across the country. The government of India has already come up with a tender for importing 50,000 MT of liquid oxygen.”
He added that the task force had made some essential propositions to authorities to make use of direct vessels to import liquid oxygen, eradicating logistical bottlenecks, cut back the transit time, quick unloading of containers, making certain speedy clearances and transport to the locations via inexperienced corridors, augmenting capability to supply further oxygen utilizing supercritical course of, amongst others. “The taskforce has also suggested that govt. could explore G2G mechanisms for getting support in the current health emergency with friendly countries,” Mr. Rao mentioned.
Shortage of cryogenic containers
“There is a dire need to increase the availability of oxygen and address the logistical issues in transporting oxygen across the country…The biggest bottleneck is the shortage of cryogenic containers. Tatas are importing 36 cryogenic vessels by this month end. Tata Steel is also supplying over 600 MT medical oxygen from its plants to hospitals,” T.V. Narendran, president-designate, CII, mentioned. He can be the CEO and MD at Tata Steel.
The trade physique added that JSW Steel was additionally presently supplying 1,000 tonnes per day and plans to ramp up additional. The whole supply from all its vegetation throughout the nation viz. Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in April 2021 was anticipated to be over 20,000 tonnes of liquid oxygen.
RIL can be supplying liquid medical oxygen of over 700 MT per day to Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Daman, Diu & Nagar Haveli. In addition, ITC is airlifting 24 cryogenic ISO containers, with 20 tonnes capability every. It can be exploring the imports of numerous oxygen concentrators in addition to turbines for distribution. ITC’s Paperboards unit in Bhadrachalam has already commenced supply of oxygen to recognized authorities hospitals in Telangana.
Adani Group is importing 4 ISO cryogenic tanks with 80 MT liquid oxygen from Saudi Arabia. ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India is supplying 220 MT of liquid oxygen per day to Gujarat. Jindal Steel & Power Ltd. is supplying 80 to 100 MT per day to numerous States and might improve the capability to 150 MT per day offered the lifting is elevated, in accordance with the CII.
The Commercial Vehicle producers below the aegis of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) are sensitising and alerting the eco-system to make sure quickest turn-around time for autos transporting oxygen.
“Technologies like track and trace and/or connected vehicles, are being leveraged in this regard. All support and assistance required for keeping these vehicles on road and running, is also being made available,” it mentioned.