Calls for early adoption of green Tech in Steel Industry
Highlighting the gargantuan need for steel in a growing economy like India Mr Neerabh Kumar Prasad, IAS., Special Chief Secretary, Environment, Forest, Science & Technology, GoAP noted that India’s steel production capacity is estimated to increase to 300 million tons per year by 2030 and to around 500 million TPY by 2047, fuelled by surging demand in real estate and overall infrastructure push.
Citing Andhra Pradesh, he stated Andhra Pradesh is a significant player in the production of Steel in India with 9.4 MTA of steel production, accounting for 7% of India’s production.
The State he said is also a leading producer of Ferro alloys with the presence of about 35 industries with production capacity of 1.20 Lakh tons per month. Two major steel plants are also being set-up in the State (Jindal Steel (2.25) at Tirupati and JSW (3.00 MT) at Kadapa).
Noting that the steel industry has made significant progress towards sustainability, Mr Prasad said it faces challenges that need to be addressed for a more sustainable future. These challenges include reducing carbon emissions, ensuring responsible sourcing of raw materials, and managing water and energy consumption. The adoption of greener technologies and renewable energy sources can significantly minimize the industry’s environmental impact.
The industry needs to undergo transformation towards green steel production. Innovative technologies like electric arc furnaces (EAF) and hydrogen-based direct reduction processes need to be adopted to reduce carbon emissions significantly, said the Special Chief Secretary, Environment, Forest, Science & Technology, GoAP.
Mr Prasad was speaking at a Conference on Steel & Alloys organized by CII at Tirupati.
Ms Priya Manjari Todi, Chairperson, CII Tirupati & Whole Time Director, Electrosteel Castings Ltd said that the vision for the steel industry emphasizes the three key pillars: sustainability, efficiency, and innovation.
Prof K Satyanarayana, Director, IIT Tirupati stressed on the Industry-Institute collaboration and serious challenge of availability of manpower. He highlighted the potential the Tirupati region holds in terms of generating employment with a wide range of industrial workspace availability in this region.
The conference also had addresses by Mr A K Padhy, Executive Director – Commercial, NMDC; Mr Hari Babu Upadhyay, Chief – Steel Making, Tata Steel; Mr Badal Balchandani, Associate Vice President, Corporate Sustainability, JSW Group; Mr Sridhar Krishnamoorthy, Managing Director, Arjas Steel Pvt Ltd; Mr V Raghavan, Head – Auto Sales & Service Centre, ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India and others.
