Tata Steel Netherlands submits draft EIA for green transition

The Dutch division of global steel company Tata Steel has submitted a draft environmental impact assessment (draft EIA) for its Green Steel plan. This is stated in the company’s announcement.

Tata Steel Netherlands calls this the next step in the process of obtaining permits for the implementation of the environmental transition plan. The company intends to reduce CO2 emissions in the country by about 40% by 2030.

The draft EIA, which is not yet public, has been submitted to the relevant environmental authority, the North Sea Canal District Environmental Protection Authority (OD NZKG). The agency has to analyze the relevant documents and provide its comments. After processing the feedback, Tata Steel Netherlands will submit the final version of the project.

The resubmission will start the process of requesting the province to make a decision on the project and apply for a permit. The decision will take one year to be made. The draft EIA will also be available for local residents to review and comment on through the appropriate mechanism.

As noted in the report, the focus on starting green steel production in 2030 remains very important for Tata Steel’s Dutch unit. The Green Steel plan envisages a shift from coal to more sustainable sources of raw materials and energy. In particular, blast furnaces and other facilities will be replaced by direct reduced iron technology and electric arc furnaces. The DRI plant will initially run on gas and will switch to hydrogen without any modifications if there is sufficient hydrogen available.

This summer, Tata Steel Netherlands started producing steel with 30% recycled content. Zeremis Recycled products contribute to the recycling cycle and reduce CO2 emissions.