KARACHI (PR) - Tuwairqi Steel Mills Limited (TSML), a subsidiary of Al Tuwairqi Holding, has kicked off the cold commissioning of its Distributed Control System (DCS). The cold commissioning of the DCS is being performed by TSML team under the supervision of foreign consultants arrived from Midrex USA, headed by Frank Bacon. Zubair Motiwala, advisor to Sindh Chief Minister for investment and M Younus Dagha, Secretary/DG Sindh Board of Investment were also present at the occasion. The cold commissioning will be completed in around 2 months, followed by the hot commissioning of 1.28 million tons DRI Plant. It is pertinent to note that in addition to the advisors of Midrex USA, TSMLs DRI Plant is being managed by Sameh Torky, who has successfully commissioned and operated 3 DRI plants in the world. While informing about the salient features of this system, Zaigham Adil Rizvi, Director (Projects), TSML said, The DCS installed at TSML, uses subsystems to control the entire DRI Plant. It does not require user intervention for routine operation, but may permit operator interaction via a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) interface. The DCS consist of remote control panels, communications medium, and central control panel. Regarding the production of DRI worldwide, he said that approximately 62 million metric tons of DRI in the form of pellet, lump and HBI was produced in 2009. The 2009 trends show that DRI usage is gaining popularity despite reduced world steel production and consumption, he maintained. Zubair Motiwala specifically appreciated the design, fabrication, engineering and erection expertise and facilities developed in-house by Al Tuwairqi in Pakistan, providing ample job opportunities to young and talented engineers in the country. He was also of the view that despite harsh economic conditions, DRI route of steel making remained reasonably healthy and recovered much faster than other sectors. TSML, is Pakistans first private-sector integrated environment-friendly steel manufacturing project of Al Tuwairqi Holding, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. TSML complex spreads over an area of 220 acres at Bin Qasim, Karachi, and employs the worlds most advanced DRI (Direct Reduction of Iron) technology based on the MIDREX process, owned by Kobe Steel of Japan. The plant, with the capacity to produce 1.28 million tons of high-quality DRI, is now on the verge of completion.