Green Steel

Steel Ministry is formulating a comprehensive green steel policy to reduce carbon emissions in steel production.

GS-02 GS-03 (Government Policies & Interventions, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Growth & Development)

The policy aims to define the manufacturing process, skill-set requirements, and funding support for green steel.
Task forces have been established to explore modalities of green steel-making, including the use of biochar or biomass to reduce carbon emissions.
India is exploring its own pure-hydrogen based DRI technology and pilot projects for hydrogen-based DRI facilities are being considered.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has allocated funds for piloting the use of hydrogen in steel making as part of the green steel initiative.

It is that steel which is manufactured without the use of Fossil Fuels in it or the steel produced through processes that do not emit Carbon-Dioxide.
This is achieved by using low-carbon energy sources like Hydrogen, electricity or coal gasification in place of old coal-fired plants.
It also uses scrap steel as raw materials which eventually reduces environmental impact of steel production.

As of December 2023, India ranks as the world’s second-largest producer of crude steel, with a production of 125.32 million tonnes.
- However, China is the largest producer of steel, accounting for 57% of the world’s steel production
Over 80% of India’s steel reserves are concentrated in states like Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and parts of Andhra Pradesh.
Major steel-producing centers include Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), Durgapur (West Bengal), Burnpur (West Bengal), Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), Rourkela (Odisha), and Bokaro (Jharkhand).
India is the world’s second-largest consumer of finished steel in 2021, consuming 106.23 million tonnes, following China, according to the World Steel Association.

Believers IAS Academy