T V Narendran, CEO & MD of Tata Steel, aims to increase the use of hydrogen in the steel-making process

28 Aug 2023 , 12:48 PM

Following the successful conclusion of the pilot project at its Jamshedpur facility in Jharkhand, Tata Steel wants to scale up the use of hydrogen in the steel-making process, according to the CEO and MD of the firm, T V Narendran. At its steel factory in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, Tata Steel started the first experiment of its sort in April 2023 by injecting hydrogen gas using 40% of the injection systems in the E-blast furnace.

‘It was very successful, we will scale it up, but eventually we need to have green hydrogen available in Eastern India that will determine how it can be used,’ Narendran told PTI in response to a query on the trials’ outcomes.

He omitted to mention how much the business intended to increase its use of hydrogen, though. Hydrogen injection into blast furnaces aids in reducing coal consumption, which lowers carbon footprint.

‘This is the first time in the history of the world that such a large quantity of hydrogen gas is being continuously injected in a blast furnace,’ he declared.

The move from coal to gas to hydrogen, according to Narendran, who was speaking about the company’s operations in the Netherlands, is crucial for that country because Tata Steel Netherlands will become one of its top customers of hydrogen.

The industry leader added that hydrogen is a crucial component of the solution for the steel industry’s transition to a more environmentally friendly future since, like coal, it plays a significant role in the reduction of emissions throughout the steel-making process.

Approximately 8% of the global carbon footprint is caused by steel.

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