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India Sanctions Three Hydrogen Steelmaking Pilot Projects Under Green Mission
The Union Government of India has approved three innovative pilot projects aimed at incorporating hydrogen into steel production under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. These projects mark a significant step towards decarbonizing India’s steel sector, one of the most carbon-intensive industries.
Green Hydrogen in Steel Production
As part of the mission, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) issued guidelines for implementing pilot projects in the steel sector. The primary objective is to identify advanced technologies that utilize green hydrogen in steelmaking, with a focus on safe operations, technical feasibility, and economic viability. The ultimate goal is to pave the way for low-carbon iron and steel production in India.
Three specific components of the project were prioritized: (i) producing Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) using 100% hydrogen through vertical shafts, (ii) reducing coal and coke consumption in blast furnaces by using hydrogen, and (iii) injecting hydrogen into vertical shaft-based DRI units.
Three Hydrogen Steelmaking Projects Sanctioned
The MNRE has selected three pilot projects after evaluating proposals. The projects include:
- Matrix Gas and Renewables Ltd (with a consortium including Gensol Engineering Ltd, IIT Bhubaneswar, and Metsol AB, Sweden) with a pilot plant capacity of 50 tons per day (TPD).
- Simplex Castings Ltd (in collaboration with BSBK Pvt. Ltd., Ten Eight Investment, and IIT Bhilai) with a 40 TPD pilot plant.
- Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) in Ranchi, with the largest plant capacity at 3,200 TPD.
The government has sanctioned Rs. 347 crore to support these projects, which are expected to be commissioned within the next three years. These pilot projects will validate the feasibility of using hydrogen in steel production and set the stage for scaling up such technologies nationwide.
National Green Hydrogen Mission: A Step Towards Clean Energy
Launched in January 2023 with an allocation of Rs. 19,744 crore, the National Green Hydrogen Mission aims to propel India toward self-reliance in clean energy. The mission seeks to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, decarbonize the economy, and establish India as a leader in green hydrogen technology. The success of these hydrogen-steel projects will play a crucial role in realizing these ambitions.
