Jamshedpur: Tata Steel is nearing a milestone year of successful operations for its cutting-edge thermal energy storage system at the Jamshedpur Works. In partnership with German startup Kraftblock GmbH, the steel major has successfully integrated technology that captures wasted heat to power its sintering process.
The Environmental Impact
The system at Sinter Plant #3 (SP3) has already delivered significant environmental and operational wins:
- Carbon Reduction: Cuts 22,000 tonnes of $CO_2$ emissions annually.
- Waste Recovery: Captures high-temperature waste heat that usually escapes into the atmosphere.
- Efficiency: Reuses stored heat to warm process water, reducing overall fuel consumption and boosting productivity.
Leadership Perspectives
Chaitanya Bhanu, Vice President (Operations), Tata Steel Jamshedpur:
“The Kraftblock system demonstrates how we can capture high-temperature waste heat from energy-intensive stages and reuse it within the process. This pilot offers a practical and scalable pathway toward more energy-efficient steelmaking.”
Dr. Martin Schichtel, CEO & Co-founder, Kraftblock:
“This project proves the feasibility of heat recovery in the steel industry. From furnaces to flaring, our sustainable thermal storage supports the industry’s efforts to become more energy- and cost-efficient.”
What is TomorrowLAB?
This collaboration succeeds under TomorrowLAB, Tata Steel’s flagship startup engagement programme. TomorrowLAB identifies and scales innovative solutions from the global startup ecosystem to solve critical sustainability and operational challenges.
Understanding the Sintering Process
Sintering is the thermal process that turns iron ore fines into larger, rock-like lumps called “sinter.” These lumps are strong enough to be fed into a blast furnace for iron production. By making this stage more efficient, Tata Steel improves the sustainability of its entire value chain.
Future Outlook: Scaling the Solution
Following the successful year-long run at SP3, Tata Steel now plans to explore further deployments. Potential applications include:
- High-temperature furnaces
- Flaring zones
- Cross-plant thermal integration
