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Source: The post is based on the article “How to decarbonize the steel industry” published in The Live Mint on 26th August 2022.
Syllabus: GS 3 – Climate change and pollution
News: India is a big producer of steel. Reducing emissions from this industry will have a hugely positive effect on the environment.
What is the significance of reducing emissions from the steel industry?
The decarbonization of steel production will also lead to the decarbonization of related industries such as automobiles, infrastructure, and buildings.
India is the world’s second-largest steel producer.
The National Steel Policy states that by 2030, a capacity of 300 million tons per year will be needed to meet the needs of our rapidly growing economy, which implies a doubling of production and a parallel increase in energy consumption.
Steel accounts for almost a third of direct industrial CO2 emissions, or 10% of India’s total energy infrastructure CO2 emissions.
What are the challenges associated with decarbonizing the steel industry in India?
Decarbonizing will not be fast and without big investments. Basic decarburization technologies are not yet feasible and are not commercially workable.
Steel has a primary and secondary impact on Scope 3 emissions in the Indian economy.
That is why India must face the challenge of decarbonization decisively.
What can be done further?
Steel production technology is diverse in both the primary and secondary sectors.
However, clean technologies can lead to a general adoption that will transform steel production and reduce environmental damage.
Research and development by the steel industries will help in reducing the environmental damage by developing new processes and products, improving processes to maximize quality, optimizing costs and energy consumption, recycling waste and conserving natural resources.
