Tata’s Big Bet: 5,000 Jobs, 80% Emission Cuts – Here’s What You Need to Know About Jharkhand’s Green Steel Leap

UditVani, Ranchi/Jamshedpur: The Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran on Monday announced a major investment of ₹11,000 crore in advanced steel technology at its flagship Jamshedpur plant. The announcement came after a nearly two-hour meeting between Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran in Ranchi.

The Jharkhand government had signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Steel Limited during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos in this regard.

Tata Steel’s ₹11,000 crore investment in Jamshedpur targets advanced green steel production using low-carbon technologies like HISARNA and EASyMelt.

Investment Breakdown & Timeline

• ₹7,000 Cr: Iron-making tech (HISARNA/EASyMelt)-
• ₹1,500 Cr: Combi Mill for precision rolling.
• ₹2,600 Cr: Tinplate capacity expansion.

• No specific phased rollout dates given yet, but it’s part of Tata Group’s broader Jharkhand expansion. HISARNA commercial plant is expected to be up by 2030- phased rollout over 4-5 years. Targets 1 million TPA by 2030.

Advanced Steel Grades to be Produced

• HISARNA Steel: High-strength, low-carbon steel from domestic coal and low-grade ore; up to 80% emission reduction with carbon capture.
• EASyMelt Steel: Modernized blast furnace steel with 50% lower CO₂ via syngas; high-grade alloys for specialized uses.
• Combi Mill Products (₹1,500 Cr allocation): Precision thin slabs, automotive-grade AHSS (Advanced High-Strength Steel), and electrical steels.
• Tinplate Expansion (₹2,600 Cr): Corrosion-resistant tin-coated sheets for packaging.

HISARNA technology allows the use of indigenous coal and low-grade iron ore, cutting down reliance on imports and improving cost efficiency. When combined with carbon capture systems, it can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 80 per cent. After successful pilot projects in the Netherlands, Tata Steel plans to set up a one million tons per annum commercial facility in Jamshedpur by 2030.

The EASyMelt technology, a globally innovative solution, aims to modernise conventional blast furnace processes by lowering coke usage through syngas, resulting in up to 50 per cent reduction in CO₂ emissions.

Key Applications:

AHSS (Automotive): Car bodies, crash-resistant parts, EV batteries

HISARNA/EASyMelt: Construction (high-strength beams), infrastructure, green energy structures

Electrical Steel: Transformers, motors, wind turbines, EV motors

Tinplate: Food cans, beverage packaging, aerosols

 Expected Outcomes

• Capacity: Enhanced capacity for advanced, eco-friendly steel

+1M TPA advanced steel; total emissions cut by 50-80%.

• Jobs: 5,000+ direct roles in tech/manufacturing.
• Sustainability: Low-carbon tech positions Tata as green steel leader.
• Impact: Positions Jamshedpur as green steel hub; tech shared with other Indian firms; supports EV/renewable sectors.

HIsarna: A revolutionary Iron making process

HISARNA is a next-generation smelting reduction technology that produces liquid iron directly from iron ore fines and non-coking coal, bypassing traditional blast furnace steps like sintering and coking.

The process involves two-stage counter current contact between iron ore fines and the process gas.

The process derives its name from the combination of two technologies HIsmelt and Isarna (‘HI’ from HIsmelt, the name of the melting vessel and ‘sarna’ from Isarna, a celtic word for iron).

Key Features

• Process: Combines Cyclone Converter Furnace (CCF) for ore melting/pre-reduction + Smelting Reduction Vessel (SRV) for final iron production.
• How it Works: Ore + oxygen injected into cyclone (1450°C) → molten droplets drip into coal-injected bath → liquid pig iron + concentrated CO₂ gas (ideal for capture).​
• Benefits:

Tata Steel’s Role in Development

• Pioneered CCF: Tata Steel IJmuiden (Netherlands) developed the Cyclone Converter Furnace since 2000s; piloted 60,000 TPA plant (world’s largest).​
• ULCOS Project: Led HIsarna within EU’s Ultra Low CO₂ Steelmaking (29 steel firms); combined Tata’s CCF with Rio Tinto’s HIsmelt SRV.​
• Jamshedpur Link: ₹11,000 Cr investment scales HIsarna commercially (1M TPA by 2030); Tata’s proprietary tech to share with Indian steelmakers.
• Milestones: 2010 pilot success (98% ore fines usage); ongoing R&D for 80% emission cuts with CCS.​

Tata Steel holds the full ownership of the patents on the HIsarna technology.

EASyMelt: Green Steel-Making Technology

EASyMelt (Electrically Assisted Syngas Smelter) is an innovative blast furnace retrofit technology that cuts CO₂ emissions by 50%+ using syngas injection and plasma superheating.

Tata Steel India leads Asia’s EASyMelt deployment; tech accelerates decarbonization without full blast furnace replacement.

Key Innovation: Plasma torches electrify tuyeres; enables coke rates as low as 100 kg/t; carbon capture synergy.

Process Details

• Syngas Generation: Coke oven gas reformed into H₂+CO syngas via dry reforming (uses blast furnace top gas + CO₂ recycling).
• Dual Injection:
  1. Shaft Level (950°C syngas): Direct ore reduction.
  2. Tuyere Level (1700-2200°C plasma-heated syngas): High-temp reduction with hydrogen flexibility.

 Tata Steel’s Role in Development

• 2023 MoU Pioneer: Partnered with SMS Group (Paul Wurth) to pilot EASyMelt at Jamshedpur E Blast Furnace.
• Industrial Demonstrator: First global industrial trial; Tata provides operational expertise + syngas from existing plants.
• Jamshedpur Link: Part of ₹11,000 Cr investment; scales to commercial use by 2030 alongside HISARNA.

(Tata Steel to invest ₹11,000 crore in Jharkhand, says Chandrasekaran)

(Tata Steel to invest ₹11,000 crore in Jharkhand for developing advanced grade steel)

(Tata Steel will invest Rs 11,000 crore in Jamshedpur plant for green steel technology)

(Tata Group Mega Investment in Jamshedour, Jharkhand)

(Tata Steel’s Green Leap)

(Transforming Jamshedpur with Advanced Steel Tech)