Hydrogen steelmaking has potential to cut CO2 emissions from primary steelmaking in India

August 20, 2021 6:11 pm

The paper suggests measures in using green hydrogen in steel manufacturing that could make India one of the first major economies to industrialise without the need to ‘carbonise’.

A new study by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) suggests measures to decouple the growth of the iron and steel sector from rising carbon emissions by making green hydrogen an important part of steel manufacturing.

In this backdrop, the study ‘Green Steel through Hydrogen Direct Reduction: A study on the role of hydrogen in the Indian Iron and Steel sector’ provides a techno-economic analysis of the Hydrogen Direct Reduction process, outlines the potential of green hydrogen technologies, and discusses the suitability of  this  technology in the Indian context. The study is a joint effort by TERI, Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH, Austria, and Siemens India

It recommends the potential next steps to advance this technology. Hydrogen steel-making has the potential to drastically reduce CO₂ emissions from primary steel-making in India, making it one of the first major economies to industrialise without the need to ‘carbonise’.

The environmental burden of steel is growing, and it will take a revolution in steel-making technology to reduce its carbon intensity. Hydrogen may definitely be an answer, provided other issues such as – its efficiency and cost is addressed. Syn gas may be cheaper and for the time being it can be a substitute, but we have to get to the DRI route so that in future, hydrogen can be brought in to move towards zero emission, said Dr. Mukesh Kumar, Director, Steel Research & Technology Mission of India, under the Aegis of Ministry of Steel.

Green steel production today still costs a lot. In developing countries like India, there is a disadvantage as the carbon price is still not readily available. In India, we are not there at this point. However, the technology is available, as described in the study, and that is a starting point, added Gerd Deusser, Executive Vice President, Head-Energy, Siemens Ltd.

They discussed the huge potential that green hydrogen had in bringing sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint of India’s iron and steel industry. Reducing variability in renewable energy technologies to increase the operational hours of electrolysis was also discussed amongst industry leaders.

For more info, visit: https://www.teriin.or