Tata Steel Commissions India’s 1st Coke Oven Gas Injection Project at Its Odisha Plant

Bhubaneswar: In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country’s steel industry, Tata Steel has commissioned a coke oven gas injection project at the blast furnace in its Meramandali plant in Odisha, a company statement said on Thursday.

The initiative underscores the company’s commitment to its ‘Net Zero by 2045’ target and highlights its leadership in deploying breakthrough technologies for low-carbon iron and steel production.

“This initiative of maximising the utilisation of gases to reduce dependence on external fossil fuels reinforces Tata Steel’s leadership in sustainable manufacturing. We remain focused on demonstrating and scaling low-carbon technologies, thereby accelerating our journey towards Net Zero by 2045,” said Subodh Pandey, vice president – Technology, R&D.

Tata Steel Meramandali vice-president (operations) Sudhir Kumar Mehta said this project is a good example of how teams continuously look for ways to improve efficiency while reducing the environmental impact.

“By finding a productive use for coke oven gas within the blast furnace process, we are making our operations leaner and cleaner,” he said.

In an integrated steel plant, coke oven gas – a hydrogen- and hydrocarbon-rich by-product gas – is typically used for power generation, heating, or simply flared.

With support from technology partner Paul Wurth-SMS and equipment supplier Kobelco, Tata Steel has successfully implemented the coke oven gas injection in the blast furnace, substituting fossil fuel as a reductant, thereby reducing the environmental impact.

Apart from reducing fossil fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, it also provides a unique opportunity to operate the blast furnace with a three-fuel system, enhancing operational flexibility and efficiency, a company official said.

Additionally, the initiative strengthens Tata Steel’s leadership in green steel production through the safe and stable operation of advanced injection technologies.

The company has been adopting low-carbon blast furnace technologies, successfully demonstrating coal-bed methane, hydrogen, and biochar injection in the blast furnace.

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