Tata Steel launches trial for injecting hydrogen gas in blast furnace

Tata Steel said that it has started the trial injection of hydrogen gas utilizing 40% of the injection systems at its Jamshedpur Works’ ‘E’ Blast Furnace.

The Indian steelmaking company claimed that this is the first time ever in the world that such a huge volume of hydrogen gas is being injected continuously in a blast furnace.

The trial began on 23 April 2023. It is anticipated to last for 4-5 days continuously and will offer valuable insight on operating blast furnaces using cleaner fuel injectors and reducing fossil fuel consumption, and consequent emission of CO2 from blast furnaces.

Tata Steel said that the trial is in line with its vision of becoming Net Zero by 2045.

The trial is likely to lower the coke rate to 10% which would translate into a reduction of 7-10% of CO2 emission per tonne of crude steel that is produced.

Tata Steel launches trial for injecting hydrogen gas in blast furnace. Photo courtesy of Tata Steel.

The completion of the trial, if successful will prove Tata Steel’s capabilities to develop, manufacture, and install this injection system, create and implement the necessary processes and safety protocols, and provide process control insights for injection of pure hydrogen in the blast furnace.

Uttam Singh — Tata Steel Vice President of Iron Making said: “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.”

To achieve the reduction of carbon emissions, Tata Steel has adopted an approach that is two-pronged, namely Carbon Direct Avoidance (CDA) as well as CO2 Capture and Use. The hydrogen injection trial is a part of the CDA strategy. It focuses on blast furnaces, which are one of the biggest industrial contributors to CO2 emissions in the world.

Tata Steel said that it is committed to helping India‘s progress towards industrial decarbonization. It has made a number of steps in this direction, including an experiment in ongoing Coal Bed Methane (CBM) injection in early 2022.

Since September 2021, the company has been installing and operating a five tonnes per day (TPD) industrial plant for carbon capture and utilization from blast furnace off-gas, cutting down on freshwater consumption, establishing sustainable supply chains, and promoting a circular economy.