India’s Tata Steel has successfully conducted trial use of biomass in ferrochrome production as an alternative to traditional carbon energy sources at its Odisha ferrochrome plant, a company statement said on Monday, July 22.
Following this, it became the first in India to successfully use biomass in ferrochrome production, the statement said.
Through the initiative, conventional reductants will be replaced by carbon-neutral biomass which is made by low-temperature burning of wood in an oxygen-starved atmosphere. The carbon released during the burning of charcoal in the submerged arc furnace (SAF) will be balanced by the carbon absorbed by the trees from which it is made, the statement said.
“This trial is part of our commitments towards sustainability and our relentless pursuit of reducing our carbon emissions. By leveraging biomass, we aim to create a cleaner, more sustainable production process, contributing to a greener future,” said Pankaj Satija, executive-in-charge, Ferro Alloys and Minerals Division (FAMD) Tata Steel Limited.