Essar Steel has been pioneering in alternate method of steelmaking from its inception, in order to utilise low grade iron ore fines agglomerated as iron ore pellets and adopted gas based DRI-EAF route of steelmaking. With the changing scenario of gas availability and costing pattern, Essar Steel adopted smelting reduction (BF, Corex) and CONARC (a hybrid operation of Convenor &Arc furnace) in order to supplement high value solid charge for its capacity expansion from 4.6 Mt/yr to 10 Mt/yr. Acute scarcity of natural gas, depletion of DR grade iron ore lump and challenges to bring down electrical energy in process are the driving forces for aforesaid changes. Usage of byproduct gas from COREX process as an alternative reductant & fuel in DR plant and hot DRI charging in steelmaking resulted in overall energy gain and increase in productivity towards high edge finished product. This paper describes the facilities of Essar Steel at Hazira and highlights the concerns, the steel industry in India needs to address, for cost effective and environment-friendly steelmaking.
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