India will fund three pilot hydrogen projects for steel production

The Indian government has approved three pilot hydrogen projects in the steel industry as part of the National Green Hydrogen Mission, according to SteelOrbis.

Approximately $41 million will be allocated to support these projects, which are expected to be completed within the next three years.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is supporting these three initiatives in the steel sector, which will be implemented by Matrix Gas and Renewables, Simplex Castings, and the Steel Authority of India.

The metallurgy program, part of the national mission, aims to identify cutting-edge technologies for using “green” hydrogen in steel production, confirm the technical feasibility and efficiency of its use, and demonstrate safe operation in the production of low-carbon steel. Pilot projects will involve 100% use of “green” hydrogen in blast furnaces and for the production of direct reduced iron (DRI) to reduce the use of coal and coke.

As a reminder, last fall, India’s JSW Energy commissioned its first and largest “green” hydrogen production plant in India. The plant will supply hydrogen directly to the direct reduced iron (DRI) facility of steelmaker JSW Steel in Vijayanagar (Karnataka state), enabling the latter to produce low-carbon steel. Under the seven-year agreement, the plant will supply JSW Steel with 3,800 tons of “green” hydrogen and 30,000 tons of “green” oxygen annually.