Million-pound digital technology heralds quantum leap for Tata Steel’s UK blast furnaces

Mumbai: Cutting-edge digital technology, which captures 1,000 data points every 10 seconds,is giving Tata Steel technicians an uninterrupted 3D view of the material being laid into the top of its two Port Talbot blast furnace saving costs, energy and CO₂.

The market-leading ‘Topscan’ technology has the potential to save the companymillionsof poundsevery year by reducing the amount of coke required in the furnaces, and will reduce CO₂ emissions by at least 50,000 tonnes annually. The technology will also play a major role in improving the furnaces’stability and efficiency.

Tata Steel UK has the ambition to reduce all CO₂emissions by 30% by 2030 and be a CO₂neutral steelmaker by 2045 – in support of the UK’s ambition to be net-zero by 2050.

Recently the company announced it is to formally adopt Science Based Targets with respect to its programme of emission reductions and carbon neutral steelmaking aspirations. It has been working on a number of projects to reduce CO₂emissions which can now be passed on to customers in the form of certificates allowing them to make Scope 3 emissions savings.

Called Optemis Carbon Lite, the certificate-based insetting scheme – verified by external third party assurance organisation DNV – is a flexible offering allowing customers to choose the CO₂intensity reduction they need. 

The state-of-the-art unit is very similar to the technology commissioned on Blast Furnace 4 last year, which is already delivering invaluable insights and big cost savings and CO₂ reductions.

The installation of Topscan into Blast Furnace 5 is expected to be complete by end November 2022.