Government is aiming to increase share of scrap in steel making process to 50 % by 2047 says Union Minister of Steel.
Steel Scrap in Steel making
- Steel is a material most conducive for circular economy as it can be used, reused and recycled infinitely.
- While iron ore remains the primary source of steel making, used or re-used steel in form of Scrap is secondary raw material for steel industry.
- Benefits of Steel scrap
- Resource Conservation: Use of every ton of steel scrap shall save 1.1 ton of iron ore, 630 kg of coking coal and 55 kg of limestone.
- Reduced carbon footprints: Use of scrap cuts emission by 25 % in comparison to primary route of steelmaking.
- India’s steel sector accounts for 12% of India’s CO2 emissions.
Recent Steps Taken
- National Steel Policy, 2017: Aspires to achieve 300MT of steel-making capacity by 2030 with a contribution of 35-40% from EAF route.
- Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF) route produce steel mostly from scrap collected for recycling.
- EAF and Blast Furnace-Basic Oxygen Furnace (BF BOF) route are methods of steelmaking.
- Steel Scrap Recycling Policy, 2019: Enhances availability of domestically generated scrap to reduce consumption of coal in steel making.
Challenges in Reuse of Steel Scrap
- Import Dependency: India relies on imported high-grade steel scrap to meet demand.
- Logistical Hurdles: Difficulties in moving and storing large quantities efficiently.
- Energy-Intensive Processing Concerns: Concerns about ecological footprint of recycling.