RNS I Bokaro: Steel Authority of India Limited’s Bokaro Steel Plant (SAIL-BSL) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with M/s Ram Charan Company Pvt. Ltd. (RCPL) from Chennai to convert industrial waste slag into value-added products. The MoU was signed by Kaushik Palicha, Managing Director of RCPL, and P.K. Baisakhia, Chief General Manager (Maintenance) of SAIL-BSL.
Slag, a major by-product of steel-producing plants, poses a significant challenge in solid waste disposal. Despite being classified as solid waste, slag contains valuable elements such as titanium, nickel, zinc, iron, aluminum, and silica. These elements can be extracted using chemical or physical processes to create value-added materials for various industries.
RCPL possesses the technology to convert slag into value-added products. Since silicon dioxide (SiO2) is the primary component of steel slag, the silica content can be electro-chemically extracted to produce silicon (Si) or silicon carbide (SiC) wafers, essential inputs for the semiconductor industry.
Under the MoU, SAIL-BSL and RCPL have agreed to establish a RCPL-designed pilot-scale modular unit with a capacity of 50 TPD (tons per day) to convert slag into value-added products.
If the pilot project yields satisfactory results, Bokaro Steel Plant may consider entering into an agreement with RCPL to construct reactors with capacities ranging from 100 TPD to 500 TPD, subject to mutually agreed terms and conditions.
Utilizing LD slag is a major challenge for the steel industry, and BSL possesses substantial reserves of LD slag that could be effectively utilized through this partnership. Currently, silicon carbide is predominantly imported at high costs for use in the semiconductor industry.
This initiative by BSL has the potential to not only address the challenge of waste disposal but also to create new opportunities for utilizing LD slag effectively if the pilot test proves successful.
MoU was signed in the presence of Birendra Kumar Tiwari, Executive Director (Operations) of BSL, R. Dhawan, Chief General Manager (MRD & SMS-New), Anil Kumar, Chief General Manager (Services), Arvind Kumar, Chief General Manager (SMS-II & CCS), MP Singh, Chief General Manager (Blast Furnace), and NP Srivastava, General Manager (ECS).
