Tata Steel has successfully pioneered the usage of biochar (biomass-based charcoal) in its Jamshedpur plant. This move strongly reinforces the company’s commitment to sustainability, nudging the steel maker closer to its Net Zero target of 2045.

Beginning as a trial in January 2023, the company has replaced approximately 30,000 tonnes of fossil fuel with biochar, to date. This approach has the potential to reduce more than 50,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually. It also improves energy efficiency by partially replacing pulverised coal injection, underscoring Tata Steel's dedication to environmental responsibility and sustainable industrial practices. The successful application in blast furnaces exceeding both 3000 m³ and 9000 tonnes per day (tpd) production represents a significant global advancement too.

Rajiv Mangal, Vice President, Safety, Health & Sustainability, Tata Steel, said,  “The introduction of biochar as a partial replacement for carbon-intensive fossil fuel like coal is a big step not just for Tata Steel but for the entire Indian steel industry. This opens doors for greater reliance on alternative fuels in the steelmaking process and reiterates our commitment to producing steel in the most responsible way possible. This pioneering success also gives us the confidence value in building a more sustainable steel sector that can serve as a benchmark for other steel producers in India.”

This innovative approach involves injecting pulverised biochar into blast furnaces via tuyeres, a method successfully implemented for the first time in India in blast furnaces exceeding 3000 m³ volume. Following successful trials in one blast furnace, the process was expanded to three others at the Jamshedpur plant. Further, Tata Steel has a plan to extend this biochar usage to other steelmaking sites.

Earlier this year, Tata Steel had successfully conducted a trial of biomass usage in ferrochrome making at its ferrochrome plant in Athagarh in Odisha’s Cuttack district. The plant, operating under the Ferro Alloys and Minerals Division (FAMD) of the company, had become the first in India to have performed the trial run as part of its sustainable alternative to traditional carbon sources.

On its road to becoming a carbon-neutral steel maker, Tata Steel has taken several initiatives including the use of alternative energy sources like solar in its production facilities to the use of biofuel in shipping raw materials and finished products. Tata Steel had also become the first Indian steel company to undertake a full-laden leg voyage from East Coast Australia to India, powered by a B24 biofuel blend with VLSFO (Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil). 

Tata Steel has been recognised as a Steel Sustainability Champion 2024 by worldsteel for the seventh consecutive year for its commitment and actions to enable sustainable development and adherence to world-class standards. Tata’s Jamshedpur plant is also India’s first site to receive the ResponsibleSteelTM certification. Subsequently, the Kalinganagar and Meramandali plants have also received the certification. In India, Tata Steel now has more than 90% of its steel production from ResponsibleSteelTM certified sites.