India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission: Pioneering Green Steel Production
The Union Government of India has approved three pilot projects under the National Green Hydrogen Mission to integrate hydrogen into steel production. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) issued guidelines for these projects, aiming to incorporate green hydrogen into steelmaking. The projects will demonstrate the safe and efficient use of hydrogen-based processes, focusing on low-carbon steel production.
Project Details
Proposals were invited for three areas: producing Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) using 100% hydrogen, reducing coal and coke usage in blast furnaces, and injecting hydrogen into DRI production units. After evaluating proposals, MNRE sanctioned three projects:
- Matrix Gas and Renewables Ltd, with Gensol Engineering Ltd, IIT Bhubaneswar, and Metsol AB, Sweden, will establish a 50 ton-per-day (TPD) pilot plant.
- Simplex Castings Ltd, in collaboration with BSBK Pvt. Ltd., Ten Eight Investment, and IIT Bhilai, will set up a 40 TPD pilot plant.
- Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) in Ranchi will lead the largest project with a capacity of 3,200 TPD.
The government has allocated Rs. 347 crore for these projects, expected to be commissioned within three years, to scale up green hydrogen technologies in India’s steel industry.
Mission Goals
Launched on January 4, 2023, with a budget of Rs. 19,744 crore through FY 2029-30, the mission aims to make India self-reliant in energy, inspire global clean energy initiatives, reduce carbon emissions, decrease fossil fuel imports, and establish India as a leader in green hydrogen technology.
Doubts Revealed
National Green Hydrogen Mission -: This is a plan by the Indian government to use hydrogen, a clean fuel, to help reduce pollution and make energy production more environmentally friendly.
Green Steel Production -: Green steel production means making steel in a way that causes less pollution, often by using cleaner energy sources like hydrogen instead of coal.
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy -: This is a part of the Indian government that focuses on developing and promoting energy sources that can be renewed, like solar and wind energy, to reduce pollution.
Hydrogen-based processes -: These are methods that use hydrogen gas instead of traditional fuels to produce things like steel, which helps in reducing pollution.
Matrix Gas and Renewables Ltd -: This is a company involved in energy projects, focusing on using gases like hydrogen to create cleaner energy solutions.
Simplex Castings Ltd -: This is a company in India that makes metal products and is now part of projects to produce steel using cleaner methods.
Steel Authority of India Ltd -: This is a large company in India that produces steel and is working on using hydrogen to make steel production cleaner.
Rs. 347 crore -: This is the amount of money, in Indian currency, that the government is providing to support these projects. It is a large sum meant to help develop new technologies.
