Energy Processes in Iron & Steel and Allied Industries
by
S K Ajmani
Abstract
India is the second largest steel producer in the world with the steel production of
111 MT (in 2019) after China. India’s target is to produce 300 MT of steel by
2030. Sometime back, National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency
(NMEEE) had chosen eight energy intensive sectors such as Thermal Power
Plants, Iron & Steel, Cement, Fertilizer, Aluminium, Pulp & Paper, Textile and
Chlor-Alkali in order to improve the energy efficiency. Among various sectors,
Iron & Steel was the second most important contributors in terms of energy
savings after Thermal Power Plants. There are four different process path followed
by Indian Iron and Steel Industries – Blast Furnace – Basic Oxygen Furnace, Smelt
reduction – Basic Oxygen Furnace / Electric Arc Furnace and Direct Reduced Iron
– Electric Arc Furnace / Induction Furnace. Benchmarking in Iron and Steel
Industry carried out in terms of specific energy consumption (SEC) at Global and
India’s level. Best specific energy consumption of various process flow path was
computed by adding the best SEC in individual sections where best practices on
energy saving are implemented and it is not related to a single plant. Key energy
saving technologies available in terms of Productivity, Quality, Cost, Delivery,
Safety, Moral & Environment and their payback period are discussed. Two success
stories of reduction in specific energy consumption, one in mini steel plant and
other in large integrated steel plant are presented. Trends of coke rate, energy
intensity and GHG emission of two large integrated steel plants are discussed. The
plans made by large integrated steel plant to reduce energy and GHG emission in
next ten years are also discussed.