Green Hydrogen To Help India’s Steel Industry With Decarbonisation: Report

New Delhi, Sept 21 (KNN) Green Hydrogen has the potential to solve the decarbonisation challenge of India’s steel industry, as per a report by Deloitte-FICCI titled “India Steel 2023 Amrit Kaal journey: Facilitating the Indian growth story.”

The report states that the steel sector emissions contribute 12% of the total CO2 in the country, with every tonne of steel produced in India emitting 2.55 tonne of CO2 against a global average of 1.85 tonne.

The report comes at a time when India's steel industry, responsible for approximately 240 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually. 

It is expected to see this figure double by 2030 due to the Indian government's ambitious infrastructure development targets. It emphasises the urgency for steel producers to adopt strategies for decarbonisation.

The government has identified green hydrogen-based Direct Reduction Iron (DRI) as the most effective alternative to traditional steelmaking methods that rely on fossil fuels, primarily coal and natural gas. Use of hydrogen in steelmaking can not only improve energy efficiency but also reduce operating costs and enhance the quality of the steel produced.

Industry experts in the Deloitte report suggest that replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen in the DRI process can reduce emissions by up to 90%. 

The Government's National Green Hydrogen Mission aims to capitalise on this potential by promoting the development of hydrogen infrastructure.  (KNN Bureau)