Tata Steel Commissions India’s First Coke Oven Gas Injection Project at Meramandali

Tata Steel has commissioned a Coke Oven Gas (COG) injection project at Blast Furnace 1 at its Meramandali plant in Odisha, marking a first-of-its-kind initiative in the Indian steel industry.

The project is part of Tata Steel’s broader effort to reduce the carbon intensity of iron and steel production and move towards its Net Zero emissions target by 2045.

Coke Oven Gas is a hydrogen- and hydrocarbon-rich by-product generated during the coke-making process. At integrated steel plants, the gas is commonly used for power generation and heating, while some quantities may also be flared. Tata Steel’s latest project puts the gas to productive use within the blast furnace process.

With technology support from Paul Wurth-SMS and equipment supplied by Kobelco, the company has introduced COG injection through the blast furnace tuyeres. The process allows the gas to substitute fossil fuel used as a reductant, helping reduce fossil fuel consumption and associated carbon dioxide emissions.

The initiative also gives Tata Steel Meramandali greater flexibility in blast furnace operations. According to the company, the technology creates an opportunity to operate the furnace with a three-fuel system, potentially improving operational efficiency while reducing its environmental footprint.

For the steel industry, finding ways to use existing process gases more efficiently has become increasingly important as producers look for practical routes to decarbonise operations. Rather than relying entirely on new energy sources, technologies such as COG injection can extract greater value from gases already generated within an integrated steel plant.

Tata Steel has been pursuing several lower-carbon technologies in blast furnace operations. The company has previously demonstrated the use of coal-bed methane, hydrogen and biochar injection, building experience in alternative fuel and reductant technologies.

The Meramandali project adds another technology to that portfolio, with the focus now shifting from demonstration to wider operational application. Tata Steel said the initiative reflects its approach of improving process efficiency while reducing the environmental impact of steelmaking.

As the company works towards its 2045 Net Zero goal, projects that reduce dependence on external fossil fuels and make greater use of process gases are expected to remain an important part of its decarbonisation strategy.