India can reduce carbon emissions in its steel sector by as much as 28 percent through increased use of scrap, making it one of the most practical short-term decarbonization solutions, Alok Sahai, Secretary General of the Indian Steel Association (ISA), said on Tuesday, February 24.
Addressing the conclave titled "Rethinking the Indian Scrap Metal and Recycling Market" organized by the New Delhi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the ISA Secretary General stated that the current carbon dioxide emission intensity in India is 2.55 tons of carbon dioxide per metric ton of steel.
Scrap-based production provides an immediate reduction in emissions, unlike hydrogen technologies, which remain expensive and limited by the availability of raw materials, he added. Globally, he noted, only 600 million tons of the two billion tons of annual steel production are for scrap metal.
Mr. Sahai also outlined the growth trajectory of steel production in India, noting that production has grown from 25 million tons to 165 million tons and is expected to reach 300 million tons by 2030. With long-term targets set to expand to 700 million tons by 2070, he said scrap metal would become strategically necessary.
However, scrap metal production currently accounts for only 22 percent of total steel production in India, compared with much higher proportions in the United States and the European Union. India's reliance on scrap imports could become risky as exporting countries consider restrictions, he said.
