Govt nods forming task forces to identify aspects of green steel production

Steel Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has approved the formation of 13 task forces to identify action points for each aspect of green steel production and adoption of sustainable manufacturing processes.

The task forces will focus on various aspects of green steel production, including raw materials, technology, and policy frameworks. the minister said.

"We are committed to promoting sustainable steel-making practices in India. Setting up task forces is a significant step towards achieving this goal. We believe that the adoption of green steel production will not only benefit the environment but also lead to the creation of new jobs and economic growth" a steel ministry statement quoted Scindia as saying.

Various stakeholders of the steel industry, academia and government officials will be part of the task forces.

The minister further said that steel producers need to increase the capacity of their washeries so dependence on imports for coal can be reduced. He also suggested the players explore new sources for coal import.

Scindia recently said his ministry will push primary steel producers to use 50 per cent of their input from scrapped/recycled steel by 2047 to help achieve the government target of moving into a circular economy.

The Minister has also said that the domestic steel industry must adopt low-carbon emitting steel-making processes as key raw material coking coal and iron ore may not be a viable option in the future based on an ESG parameter.