Tata Steel initiates trial for record-high hydrogen gas injection in Blast Furnace at its Jamshedpur Works

~ This is world’s first instance when such a large quantity of hydrogen gas is being continuously injected in a blast furnace ~

~ The trial marks a major milestone in the steel industry's journey towards green and sustainable steelmaking ~

India, April 24, 2023: Tata Steel has commenced the trial injection of hydrogen gas using 40% of the injection systems in ‘E’ Blast Furnace at its Jamshedpur Works. This is the first time in the world that such a large quantity of hydrogen gas is being continuously injected in a blast furnace. 

The trial started on April 23,2023 and is expected to continue for 4-5 days on a continuous basis. It will provide valuable insights into operating blast furnaces with greener fuel injectants, reducing fossil fuel consumption and subsequent CO2 emissions from the blast furnace. The endeavour is aligned with the Company’s vision of becoming Net Zero by 2045.

The trial has the potential to reduce the coke rate by 10%, translating into around 7-10% reduction in CO2 emissions per ton of crude steel produced. 

The successful completion of this trial will demonstrate Tata Steel's capability to design, fabricate and commission the injection system, develop and establish necessary general and process safety protocols, and provide process control insight for pure hydrogen injection into the blast furnace.

“The trial of hydrogen gas injection in a blast furnace at Jamshedpur Works is an important milestone in our journey towards net zero emissions. As we explore the potential of greener fuel injectants, we are excited to see the impact it can have on reducing fossil fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. We are confident that this trial will provide valuable insights into operating blast furnaces with hydrogen and help us identify the next steps towards achieving our goal of a leaner carbon future," said Uttam Singh, Vice President, Iron Making, Tata Steel.

For a long time, hydrogen has been earmarked as an alternative to fossil fuels as an important reductant of iron ore in blast furnace. Given the imperative to make industrial processes greener, hydrogen fuel utilisation is gaining a lot of traction and is being embraced on a scale like never before. 

"Our efforts towards decarbonisation are driven by our commitment to creating a sustainable tomorrow. The trial, a testament to our capabilities in design, fabrication, and commissioning of injection systems, will accelerate our foray into green steelmaking. Tata Steel remains dedicated to leveraging innovation and technology in its pursuit of becoming the industry leader in sustainability," said Dr Debashish Bhattacharjee, Vice President (Technology and R&D), Tata Steel.

In its pursuit of decarbonisation, Tata Steel has adopted a two-pronged approach of Carbon Direct Avoidance (CDA) and CO2 Capture and Use. The trial injection of hydrogen gas is part of the CDA approach, focussing on the blast furnace, one of the heaviest known industrial contributors to CO2 emissions worldwide.

Tata Steel is committed to contributing to India's journey towards industrial decarbonisation and has already taken several steps in this regard including conducting a trial of continuous Coal Bed Methane (CBM) injection in early 2022, installation and continuous operation since September 2021 of 5 tonnes per day (TPD) industrial plant for carbon capture and utilisation from blast furnace off-gas, reducing freshwater consumption, developing sustainable supply chains, and imbibing circular economy.