To reduce CO2 emissions, Government orders the steel industry to create a time-bound action plan

4 Jul 2022 , 03:13 PM

The Ministry of Steel has asked the stakeholders to create a time-bound action plan to reduce emissions in the steel industry in accordance with the government's COP26 pledges.

A government document says that whereas the iron and steel sector generally generate 8% of the world's yearly carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, it makes up 12% of the total CO2 emissions in India. Keeping in mind the agreements made at the COP26 climate change summit, the Indian steel sector must significantly reduce its emissions.

At the COP26 international climate summit in November 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that India would achieve a goal of net-zero emissions by 2070.

Ram Chandra Prasad Singh, the steel minister, "urged the stakeholders to prepare a time-bound action plan and undertake coordinated
efforts for lowering the emissions from the steel industry in line with the promises made by the Government in COP26" during a meeting recently.

The current situation, the best course of action for promoting the switch to green steel, various strategies and technologies that the steel industry may use to make green steel, as well as the technology readiness levels, were also discussed.

At the meeting, it was also discussed how to produce iron using green hydrogen and how to use carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology to reduce emissions. According to the ministry, "R&D project proposals have been made in a joint collaborative mode from reputable academic institutions, research labs, and steel companies for the development of new alternative processes and technologies to address the issues faced by the sector...(and) providing financial assistance under the R&D Scheme for the Financial Year 2022—23."