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Ministry of Steel had constituted 14 Task Forces to discuss, deliberate and recommend upon the entire chain of decarbonisation of the steel industry.

Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Ministry of Steel has awarded two pilot projects to produce DRI using 100% Hydrogen in vertical shaft and one pilot project to use hydrogen in existing Blast Furnace to reduce coal/coke consumption under this Mission.

Ministry of Steel has not issued any policy guidelines for establishment of a mechanism to ensure mandatory procurement of green steel by the Government agencies.

Ministry of Steel has taken following additional steps/policies to encourage/support steel industry for transitioning to greener production technologies:

1. Ministry has released the Taxonomy for Green Steel to provide standards for defining and categorizing the low emission steel, facilitating the green transition of the steel industry. It provides a framework for production of Green Steel, creation of market for green steel and seeking financial support.

2. Steel Scrap Recycling Policy, 2019, formulated by Ministry of Steel envisages enhancing the availability of domestically generated scrap to reduce the consumption of coal in steel making.

3. Motor Vehicles (Registration and Functions of Vehicles Scrapping Facility) Rules September 2021 of Ministry of Road Transport & Highways envisages increasing availability of scrap in the steel sector.

4. National Solar Mission launched by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in January, 2010 promotes the use of solar energy and helps to reduce the emission of steel industry.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries, Shri Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

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