GREEN STEEL FOR A GREEN ECONOMY

The ‘harder to abate’ sectors – a categorization that includes the iron and steel sector – account for around 40% of the total carbon dioxide emissions from today’s energy system, and these emissions will increase as emerging economies continue to develop unless steps are taken to promote ‘green steel’. In this article, Will Hall, Thomas Spencer, and Sachin Kumar discuss short- and long-term actions for the iron and steel sector, covering the technological solutions and possible policy options that could help drive a sustainable transition.

- Will Hall, Thomas Spencer, and Sachin Kumar

As with all economies, steel is a material of vital importance to the Indian economy. If the living standards of Indian citizens are to increase, the use of steel will also need to increase substantially. With this increase in steel demand comes a myriad of challenges and opportunities, not the least amongst them being the impact this would have on the environment.

At TERI, we have developed a robust understanding of the factors that drive the transition towards cleaner technologies through our Energy Transitions Commission India work programme. Whilst much work has been carried out in the power sector, we are just beginning to understand what such a transition might look like for the highest energy-consuming sectors of the Indian economy, that is, the heavy industry sectors, chief amongst them being steel.

In January 2020, we published a report1 presenting an initial overview of the Indian steel sector and the options to mitigate its impact on the environment through reducing emissions. This report clearly shows that more can be done in the near term to mitigate emissions from the steel sector, including driving forward with cost-effective energy efficiency measures and maximizing the efficient use of resources. India will also need to start exploring deep decarbonization alternatives, including hydrogen, electrification, and carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS). India is set to be a major beneficiary from advancements in these key technologies and should be proactive in pushing ahead with collaborative projects and pilot plants. This article will set out the lessons we learned from undertaking this work, covering steel demand, production technologies, and policy measures.

Importance of Steel in the Development of the Indian Economy and the Welfare of Its Citizens