 "Steel")
Tata Steel said on Monday it is conducting a trial for hydrogen gas injection in a blast furnace at Jamshedpur Works, aiming to reduce carbon emissions by cutting coke rate.
A company statement said that the trial will use 40 per cent of the injection systems in the ‘E’ blast furnace at Jamshedpur Works. “This is the first time in the world that such a large quantity of hydrogen gas is being continuously injected in a blast furnace,” it said.
The trial started on Sunday and will continue for four or five days continuously to provide insights about operating blast furnaces with greener fuel injectants, reducing fossil fuel consumption and CO2 emissions from the blast furnace. The move was in line with the company’s vision of becoming net zero by 2045.
The trial had the potential to reduce the coke rate by 10 per cent, translating into around 7-10 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions per ton of crude steel produced, the company added.
"Our efforts towards decarbonisation are driven by our commitment to creating a sustainable tomorrow. The trial, a testament to our capabilities in design, fabrication, and commissioning of injection systems, will accelerate our foray into green steelmaking,” said Debashish Bhattacharjee, vice president (Technology and R&D), Tata Steel.
“As we explore the potential of greener fuel injectants, we are excited to see the impact it can have on reducing fossil fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. We are confident that this trial will provide valuable insights into operating blast furnaces with hydrogen and help us identify the next steps towards achieving our goal of a leaner carbon future," said Uttam Singh, vice president, Iron Making, Tata Steel.
Tata Steel has a two-pronged approach of Carbon Direct Avoidance (CDA) and CO2 Capture and Use. The trial injection of hydrogen gas is part of the CDA approach, focusing on the blast furnace, one of the heaviest known industrial contributors to CO2 emissions worldwide, the company said.
