Industry like steel, cement, glass, non-ferrous, hydro-carbon process industries, involving high temperature application, requires refractories. In pre-independent period Bengal was pioneer in establishing industries including setting up of steel plants like IISCO.
In India the first refractory manufacturing plant was set up at Ranigunj in the year 1874 to meet the requirement of Calcutta Mint and subsequently East Indian Railways. On commissioning of the Indian Iron & Steel Company Limited, Burn & Company Limited expanded their manufacturing capacity for refractories and set up units in West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. In West Bengal Burn Standard Company Limited (erstwhile Burn & Company Limited) established four factories, two situated at Ranigunj, one at Durgapur and one at Andal in the district of Burdwan. The main reason for setting up these units was the proximity of the units nearer to steel plants and availability of the main raw material like fire clay and coal for burning of the products.
Subsequently, a number of other refractory units came up in and around Asansol-Durgapur belt viz. Bihar Pottery at Rupnarainpur, National Refractories at Salanpur, Hindustan Refractory and Hind Refractory at Durgapur and Kesoram Refractory in Kulti and a few small scale unit. All these plants were meant for manufacturing of conventional type of refractories for use in steel plants and other consuming industries. Unfortunately, with the change in steel making technology as well as requirement of better types of refractories by other industries, the demand for the conventional type of refractories sliced down drastically, resulting in closure of most of the old refractory manufacturing units mentioned above. It is a matter of concern for the industry in West Bengal that instead of diversifying the product mix and updating the process technology most of the units prefered to close down the units.
To name a few of the old units who are still in business are refractory plants of Burn Standard Company Limited, A Government of India Undertaking, Kesoram Refractory, National Refractory and some small scale refractory units in Durgapur/Asansol.
With the present market and the availability of raw material, etc. one has to plan ahead for manufacturing new generation refractories for use in steel plants in LD Converters, continuous casting, etc. Though raw material required for those new generation refractories are not readily available in West Bengal, but considering the proximity of market there is a future for refractories for use in industries situated in West Bengal and nearing states.
With the change in the steel making technology, the demand for the unshaped refractories like castables, ramming masses, gunning material, etc. is in much large percentage compared to the shaped burnt bricks. The reason for closure of the most of the refractory units in West Bengal, and the unviable operating condition of the present refractory manufacturing units in West Bengal is due to lack of planning and farsightedness in the field of change in product mix to cope up with the present day demand.
Steel and Iron Industry consumes approximately 70<196>75% of refractories manufactured in the country and West Bengal is having three integrated steel plants, viz. TISCO, Durgapur Steel Plant and Alloy Steel Plant, all of which are under Public Sector Steel Authority of India. It is expected that these steel plants would have favoured to procure their refractory requirement from nearby plants in Durgapur-Asansol belt, but due to non availability of the proper type and quality of refractories they are to spend more money for bringing the material from far distant places. Had refractories been available from West Bengal, at least these three steel Plants could have reduced their production cost as well as there would have been greater employment opportunity in West Bengal.
As mentioned above, West Bengal was pioneer in setting up refractory units in Ranigunj by Burn Standard Company Limited. whose products were entirely consumed by steel industry prior to nationalisation of the Indian Iron and Steel Company Limited and Burn & Company Limited Although IISCO and Burn Standard both are public sector, it is understood that no efforts were made by the Govt. to change the product mix of the refractory units situated in West Bengal to cope up with the present day requirement.
The main demand for present day refractories is for use in basic oxygen furnaces and continuous casting process in steel making. None of the units in West Bengal is capable to meet the above requirement.
A few years back, West Bengal Finance Corporation (State Government Undertaking) initiated a project for manufacture of Dolomite refractories for use in basic oxygen furnaces, cement factories and mini steel plants. Unfortunately the project had not materialised.
It will be helpful if some new thoughts are given for setting up a Dolomite Refractory plant in and around Durgapur-Asansol belt which will help IISCO and Durgapur Steel plant to meet their requirement easily, and in this process it will also be helpful for revival of the economy of West Bengal.
One will be happy to note that some of the NRIs have initiated projects for manufacture of special type of refractories. To name some of the units are M/s. Vesuvius (I) Limited who are putting up a plant in Calcutta for manufacture of refractories required in continuous casting of steel, and the other M/s. kero Rajendra Monolithics Limited. Who are putting up their plant at Borjura in the district of Bankura for manufacture of Monolithics, castables, etc.
With this setting up of new generation refractory plants, and keeping in mind the Government owned refractory units of Burn Standard Company Limited, if they can come forward for diversifying their products to meet the demands of the integrated steel plants, it is but natural that one can hope for a much brighter future for refractory industry in West Bengal.

Contributed by
Dr M Sen