core sector communique

Steel Minister Releases R&D Roadmap for the Indian Steel Industry

The Union Minister for Steel, Shri Beni Prasad Verma has released a report entitled ‘A Roadmap for Research & Development and Technology for Indian Iron and Steel Industry’ here today. The report analyses the reasons behind the unsatisfactory performance of Indian Steel Industry in the areas of technology and R&D. The main problems in the industry relate to technological obsolescence and lack of timely modernization, availability of inferior quality raw materials, inefficient shop floor practices, lack of automation & control, lack of R&D intervention. The roadmap plans to develop a collaborative R&D projects at national level with academic and research institutes/laboratories of repute as well as the industry to share expertise. The report also aims at giving due recognition to R&D programmes and envisages increase in Investment in R&D from the present level of 0.15 to 0.25% of sales turnover to at-least 1% of total turnover by 2015-16 and 2% by 2020. It also aims at further streamlining R&D investments in the steel industry through incentives and lays emphasis on phasing out obsolete production facilities. Thrust areas as per the report: - • Improving the quality of basic input/ raw materials and developing/adopting suitable beneficiation technologies to suit Indian conditions. • Developing alternate iron making technology suitable for indigenous raw material, including direct smelting of low grade ore using indigenous non-coking coal. • Utilizing iron ore fines including beneficiated micro fines, adopting relevant agglomeration techniques like sintering and pelletisation. • Technology for modification of coal blending, covering utilization of high ash non coking coal. • Develop technologies to convert non coking coal into coking coal including synthetic production of coking coal. • Emphasis on coal gasification to produce syn-gas to produce sponge iron and utilization of hot gases flowing out of iron & steel plants. • Developing/adopting technologies/practices which impact reduction in energy consumption and reduce CO2 emission. • Working on alternative energy sources for Integrated Steel Manufacturing. • Reducing generation of waste in all stages from mining to steel making. • Focusing on technologies for reducing water consumption in steel plants. • Managing /recycling/utilising wastes including full utilisation of LD/EAF slag. • Controlling effluents in coke ovens through bio-chemical / microbial treatments • Technologies have to be developed for production of high performance steel viz ultra high strength high formable steel etc. • Developing strategies for improving rate of PCI in blast furnace to at-least 100-150 kg in next 5 years and about 200 kg/THM in next 10 years. • Improving productivity of LD converters/EAFs, improving lining life of converter/EAF to 15000-20000 heats/1000-1200 heats respectively. • Reducing power consumption in EAF to below 300 KWh/tcs • Conserving water in beneficiation and iron/steel making including exploring dry beneficiation techniques. • Developing/Adopting compact technologies and lay out to ensure optimum use of resources. • Developing suitable technology/strategy for production of extra low phosphorous Ferro manganese for wide range of low carbon grades of steel. • Developing suitable beneficiation methods to effectively use low grade Chromite ore fines. • Beneficiation of raw materials required for refractories- magnesite, bauxite and graphite for use in iron/steel industry. • Computational fluid dynamic studies for production of clean steels in ladle furnace and RH-OB • Developing Technologies for Production of ferro-alloys using alternate technologies. • Development of innovative techniques for systematic use of waste refractory material. • Bringing out optimisation packages of activities from mining to out bound logistics by leveraging soft-ware development. Releasing the report, Shri Beni Prasad Verma said that Indian Steel Industry is marred by low investments in R&D because of which the industry has not realized its complete potential. He said, the Report will go a long way in setting the tune for further developments in the sector and aim at adopting newer better technologies, improving utilization of resources and developing mechanisms for better waste utilization and recycling. The Secretary, Ministry of Steel, Shri D.R.S Chaudhary said that the report is a compilation of extensive study of latest trends in R&D across the world. These trends have been compared to those in India and an India centric R&D Action Plan has been drawn up. Earlier, the Minister reviewed the Annual Performance of SAIL. He hoped that the modernization and expansion projects of SAIL would be completed soon.