May 11 is National Technology Day
Tata Steel has identified technology leadership in the steel industry as an enabler to achieve its long-term objectives of sustainability and meeting its growth ambitions. To this end, the Company has selected key technology leadership areas, including hydrogen and CCU (Carbon Capture and Utilisation) for decarbonisation, using low-quality raw materials, coatings, mobility, advanced process control, and water management.
Key Projects
To decarbonise its blast furnace operations, Tata Steel completed a first-in-the-world trial of hydrogen injection in the E Blast Furnace at Jamshedpur, reducing 50 kg CO2 per tonne of crude steel. Tata Steel has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Germany’s SMS Group for a trial of the EASyMelt (Electric-assisted syngas smelter) technology to reduce blast furnace CO2 emission.
Tata Steel has conducted proof-of-concept experiments and pilots with 40+ Indian and global startups to develop breakthrough solutions. In collaboration with a UK-based startup, Tata Steel commissioned a 5 tonnes per day carbon capture plant in Jamshedpur – a first for a steel company in India.
The SMART solution package for the cooling tower implemented in Jamshedpur won the Energy Transition Changemakers award during COP 28 in 2023. The machine learning algorithm-based solution substantially improves energy efficiency and reduces carbon dioxide emissions, water consumption, and functional expenses without causing operational disturbance.
Technology to Produce Green Products from Waste
Tata Steel launched Tata Aggreto and Tata Nirman, India’s first branded steel slag products, produced through a state-of-the-art integrated slag processing plant and accelerated weathering facility to promote sustainable construction. A sustainable alternative to natural aggregates, these have been used extensively to construct national highways and urban and rural roads in India. Tata Steel has joined hands with the South Eastern Railway (SER) in India for the utilisation of the two products in the blanketing layer of railway tracks.
The Company has also developed a patented sustainable waste management technology for utilising BOF slag to manufacture a sulphur-rich nutrient supplement—Dhurvi Gold. Other key initiatives include a one-of-a-kind endeavour to convert the hazardous LD sludge into value-added pellets, develop a low-sulphur furnace oil from coal tar, and develop a greener alternative to crude coal tar usage in blast furnaces. Tata Steel has also developed eco-friendly light construction products such as green paver blocks and interlocking blocks, manufactured using iron and steel slags.
Technology-led New Materials Business
Tata Steel extends its technology efforts beyond steel and has made significant investments in the advanced materials space. The New Materials Business was set up with the vision to create knowledge-intensive businesses by exploring opportunities in materials beyond steel. Set up in 2018, the business has three verticals: Composites, Graphene and Medical Materials. The business has made headway across multiple customer segments, such as railways, orthopaedic implants, and consumer products.
Collaborations with Academia
In April 2024, Tata Steel and TEXMiN, the Mining Technology Innovation Hub at IIT Dhanbad, forged a landmark partnership to catalyse innovation and reshape the landscape of natural resource management in India. It reflects the Company’s intent to propel the mining industry into the era of Mining 4.0.
Tata Steel has also signed an MoU with IIT Bhubaneswar REP (Research and Entrepreneurship Park) to explore collaboration in the areas of materials processing and modelling, energy and environment, and low-carbon steel production and circular economy.
The Company has established two Advanced Materials Research Centres (TSAMRCs) at Chennai and Bengaluru, respectively, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS).
In December 2023, Tata Steel signed MoUs with Imperial College London and The Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, Manchester, to set up Centres for Innovation in Sustainable Design and Manufacturing and Advanced Materials, respectively.
Investment in New Infrastructure
To accommodate the evolving R&D requirements and state-of-the-art equipment, Tata Steel laid down the foundation stone of Dr J J Irani Centre for Research & Development at Jamshedpur. The new R&D centre will showcase the Company’s commitment to technology development in sustainability and first-in-the-world products and solutions. It will be a platinum-certified building from the CII Green Building Certification team.
Conclusion
With its diverse geographical footprint, Tata Steel takes great pride in contributing to economic prosperity while being conscious of its environmental impact. The Company firmly believes that technology has the power to solve some of humanity’s most pressing challenges and unlock its latent potential.
