Project nominated for the Excellence in Sustainability Steelie Award 2021
At JSW’s Vijayanagar Works in Karnataka state, innovative new techniques developed as part of the ‘Recycling of plastics in electric arc furnace’ project, where plastic waste is used as a replacement for coke fines as a foaming agent in the electric arc furnace, have resulted in a wide range of environmental, social and economic benefits including:
- Recycling approximately 340 tonnes of plastic waste each year
- Removing an equivalent tonnage of waste from local landfill
- Reducing the use of coke fines by approximately 340 tonnes per year (10% of total coke fines used in the furnace) and thereby also removing the need for additional treatment of tar, sulphur etc. associated with coke fine production.
- Reducing Vijayanagar Works’ climate change impact by reducing CO2 emissions from the use of coke fines by over 1,000 tonnes
- Reducing the percentage of iron oxide in slag by 0.7%
- Achieving these environmental benefits whilst maintaining steel production process/
- efficiency
- Providing an estimated return on investment of just 7 months and an estimated annual saving on raw materials of Rs. 1,970,640 (approximately $26,600).
Key to the success of the project is the development of an innovative pneumatic conveying system for the introduction of the plastic into the furnace, for which a patent has been filed.
This project is also part of a wider site business review being carried out at the Vijayanagar Works aimed at:
- Minimising the creation of waste, including plastic
- Managing and segregating waste to maximise the potential for recycling
- Identifying innovative uses for waste.
Such processes and objectives are identified, managed and delivered through JSW’s comprehensive Sustainability Framework, enabling the business to continually improve its performance across its 17 Focus Areas and ultimately achieve its Sustainability Vision.