First Oxygen Express arrives at RINL-VSP in Visakhapatnam, to be delivered to Maharashtra

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Visakhapatnam: The first Oxygen Express arrived at Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited Vizag Steel Plant (RINL -VSP) in the early hours of Thursday to supply over 100 tonnes of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) to Maharashtra for COVID-19 patients.

The oxygen filling process into seven empty cryogenic tankers will start soon. Each of tanker with a total carrying capacity of more than 100 tonnes, would take nearly 20 to 24 hours to complete the process of filling, weighing and safety checks as per protocol before it leaves for Maharashtra to meet the medical exigencies of COVID-19 patients.

According to sources, the Air Separation Plant (ASP) in RINL-Vizag Steel has five units of oxygen extraction plants, of which three are of 550 tonnes and the other two of 600 tonnes per day capacity.

On an average, every day, ASP produces 2,600 tonnes of oxygen gas and 100 tonnes of liquid oxygen.

RINL has already supplied approximately 400 tonnes of LMO last week to various destinations in Andhra Pradesh and other states as instructed by the Centre.

RINL, which runs a 7.3 million tonnes per annum steel plant here has supplied 8,842 tonnes of medical oxygen last fiscal.

The worsening COVID-19 situation has seen a surge in the demand for medical oxygen and beds for the COVID-19 patients and many states are reporting a shortage in essential medical supplies.

Availability of oxygen is a key element in the treatment of certain medical conditions in the COVID-19 infection.