LD slag is accumulating, need to find ways for commercial use: Secretary, Ministry of Steel 

Asking steel manufacturers to take a cue from their Japanese counterparts, Ruchika Chaudhry Govil, Joint Secretary Ministry of Steel, harped on the importance of using LD slag.

In an address at a conference organised by FICCI on 'Promoting Awareness and Usage of Iron & Steel Slag – Ushering in a New Era', she said that the government will facilitate experience sharing.

"If the world is producing LD slag and this waste material has an economic value and is being used by other countries. Instead of inventing the wheel all over again, we need to have information sharing and collaboration. Ministry of Steel will be happy to act as a facilitator," she said.

LD slag, a by-product of a steel making process, is not being used in India unlike the blast furnace slag, which is being commercially used in several applications, mainly by cement manufacturers.

She said that blast furnace slag is now utilised by the cement industry due to the constant efforts to make it economically viable.

"Cement industry has benefitted from the use of by-products as their energy requirements have gone down," said Govil.

Govil said that the Indian steel industry is looking at 300 million tonnes capacity by 2030 from the current capacity of about 140 million tonnes and this growth will lead to rise in by-products as well. The government expects increase in the production of both blast furnace and LD slag from the current 27 million tonnes and 12 million tonnes per annum, respectively.

"LD slag has posed a problem for us as it is not being used at all. The LD slag has been accumulating over the years," she added, urging the industry to highlight the stumbling blocks and submit their comments invited by a task force constituted to identify usage of slag in the next two weeks.