SAIL’s Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), in partnership with its Research and Development Centre for Iron and Steel (RDCIS), has successfully initiated the use of biochar in Blast Furnace #1.
On August 24, 2024, Atanu Bhowmick, Director In-Charge of RSP, oversaw the historic trial of biochar injection.
Bhowmick emphasized that integrating biochar represents a significant step toward reducing the plant’s carbon footprint and enhancing sustainability. Biochar, a stable carbon form produced from biomass through pyrolysis, is being explored to cut CO2 emissions. Laboratory studies and trials by RDCIS have identified bamboo-based biochar as effective substitutes for traditional Pulverized Coal Injection (PCI) coal in blast furnaces. These materials, derived from fast-growing, CO2-absorbing plants, are carbon neutral and abundant in India.
