A professional talk on ‘Sustainable Steel Production’, was organised at ED (Works) Conference Hall of SAIL, Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) on 1st November 2024. Mr. Alok Verma, ED (Mines) with Additional Charge of ED (Works) presided over the session. Professor Omkar Nath Mohanty, Former Vice Chancellor, BPUT and Professor IIT, Kharagpur was the Guest Speaker. Many Chief General Managers and Heads of Departments of the Plant attended the programme.
While presenting the general overview of the World Steel Scenario the guest speaker shared the way Steel giants have been investing in research aimed at reducing carbon footprints, adopting green steel production technologies and enhancing energy efficiency. He emphasized upon the significance of Technological Innovation in driving the steel industry’s shift towards sustainability. He discussed global developments in Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS) and Autograde Steel, which are increasingly in demand for the automotive sector due to their enhanced strength and reduced weight. The concept of a Circular Economy was also explained in detail and the trend of incorporating circular economy principles, to minimize environmental impact. Specific focus was laid on the commercial utilization of by-products such as LD Slag and Blast Furnace (BF) Slag, both of which are being researched extensively for their potential in areas such as road construction, cement manufacturing, and as fertilizers.
The session concluded with a discussion on how RSP can further contribute to these global efforts by leveraging its existing expertise and infrastructure, while staying at the forefront of innovation in steel production.
