Tata Steel began testing hydrogen injection into a blast furnace

Tata Steel, an Indian steelmaker, has initiated tests involving the injection of hydrogen into its E blast furnace at its primary steel plant in Jamshedpur. The purpose of these tests, which started on April 23 and will last for 4-5 days, is to reduce the use of coke and decrease carbon emissions. Approximately 40% of the hydrogen injection systems are being utilized by Tata Steel during the testing phase. It is anticipated that these tests will lead to a 10% reduction in coke consumption and a 7-10% reduction in carbon emissions per tonne of steel produced. Furthermore, they will provide insights into the operation of blast furnaces utilizing environmentally friendly fuel injection methods, thereby reducing fossil fuel consumption and subsequent CO2 emissions from the blast furnace. Tata Steel has set a target to become carbon neutral by 2045.

These tests align with India's objective of promoting hydrogen usage in certain industries, including the steel sector, to foster demand for cleaner fuels. India aims to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2070.

Tata Steel is currently in negotiations to secure credit funds amounting to $400 million for the decarbonization of its steel production. The company is committed to becoming carbon neutral and plans to commence green steel production at its Eimend plant in the Netherlands by 2030. The loan is expected to have a duration of approximately 5 years, and the funds raised will likely be allocated to capital expenditures.

In related news, Tata Steel UK, the largest steelmaker in the UK, announced in November that it would implement Topscan technology at Blast Furnace 5 in Port Talbot, South Wales, to achieve a reduction of at least 50,000 tons of carbon emissions per year. By utilizing 3D scanning technology to control the loading process of the blast furnace, the company intends to minimize the use of coke in steel production. A similar technology was installed at Blast Furnace No. 4 in 2021.