Tata Steel tests EASyMelt for 50% CO2 cut Technology uses syngas, plasma to cut coke Project supports steelmaker’s 2045 net-zero Indian steelmaker Tata Steel has signed a definitive  agreements with Paul Wurth S.A., part of SMS group, to deploy  the EASyMelt technology at its blast furnace in Jamshedpur,  India, aiming to cut CO2 emissions by more than 50% as the  Indian steelmaker advances toward its 2045 net-zero target, the  German-based engineering company and the steel producer said  April 21 in separate statements.

The project marks a key step in how steelmakers can retrofit existing assets to reduce carbon intensity without requiring costly plant replacements or dependence on scarce high-grade iron ore needed for direct reduction facilities.

This technology enables blast furnaces to operate with minimal coke levels, with Tata Steel’s blast furnace ‘E’ in Jamshedpur to be the first facility globally to be converted to  EASyMelt EASyMelt integrates syngas into the ironmaking process, using it as a reducing agent to replace coke while plasma torches electrify the process by superheating syngas injected at the tuyere level.

Technology can utilize multiple energy sources, including natural gas, coke oven gas, hydrogen, ammonia and electricity, allowing adaptation to local resource availability.

“The transition to low-carbon steelmaking will be shaped by our ability to reimagine and transform existing production ecosystems,” TV Narendran, CEO and managing director of Tata Steel, said in a statement.

As numerous markets face challenges related to scrap availability, iron ore quality and access to green energy resources, EASyMelt helps to achieve decarbonization goals, filling the gap between iron ore availability and green steel demand.

The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding in June 2023 to collaborate on decarbonizing ironmaking, with Tata Steel deciding to proceed after completing a front-end loading study.