Tata Steel and SMS to deploy EASyMelt for blast furnace decarbonization

The project will be carried out at Tata Steel’s blast furnace E (649 m³) in Jamshedpur, where the technology will be introduced in phases. The company aims to reduce CO₂ emissions by more than 50% compared with the furnace’s baseline operation. Once completed, the facility is expected to become the first blast furnace worldwide converted to EASyMelt.

The EASyMelt (electrically-assisted syngas smelter) process combines syngas injection with partial electrification to reduce reliance on coke in ironmaking. By integrating top-gas recycling and plasma-based heating, the system enables the use of alternative reducing agents such as natural gas, hydrogen or ammonia, while maintaining operational flexibility.

T V Narendran, CEO and Managing Director of Tata Steel, described the project as “a significant milestone” in the company’s decarbonization roadmap, adding that the partnership with SMS group will help “accelerate our journey towards achieving net zero.”

Jochen Burg, CEO of SMS group, said the project would bring the technology to industrial scale, calling it “a significant milestone” that could support future brownfield decarbonization projects.

The initiative builds on a cooperation agreement signed in 2023 and follows a completed front-end engineering study. It forms part of Tata Steel’s broader target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2045.

EASyMelt is designed as a flexible solution that can operate with varying raw materials and energy sources, including conventional sinter feed. This makes it particularly relevant in markets facing constraints in scrap availability, high-grade iron ore or access to low-carbon energy.

Source and Photo: SMS Group