Further solidifying its position as an environmentally responsible corporate, Tata Steel has replaced the use of furnace oil with Piped Natural Gas (PNG) at its Ferro Alloys Plant (FAP) in Jajpur district of Odisha. The sustainability initiative, which is a first in the ferrochrome industry in the country, will help the company significantly reduce its carbon footprint and contribute to India’s journey towards a greener industrial future. The Plant operating under the Ferro Alloys and Minerals Division (FAMD) of Tata Steel, has installed a PNG facility and will use the cleaner fuel for preheating the chrome ore that is used for producing chrome ore briquette. The facility will enable the steel major to completely replace the use of furnace oil as a fuel with the natural gas marking a transformative step towards cleaner and more sustainable industrial operations. Inaugurating the PNG facility, Pankaj Satija, Executive-In-charge, FAMD, said, "Natural Gas burns cleaner than the furnace oil, producing significantly less harmful emissions especially in context of high sulphur content of furnace oil. By replacing furnace oil with PNG, we aim to contribute to the nation’s effort in mitigating the effects of global warming and moving towards options of lower carbon footprint. We remain steadfast in our commitment to a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future.” The steel major had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India’s leading oil and gas company in the public sector Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) to secure long-term supply of piped natural gas. As per the MoU, BPCL will supply the agreed quantity of natural gas through its pipeline to the Ferro Alloys Plant. The transition will substantially reduce the Plant’s carbon footprint and lower greenhouse gas emissions, reinforcing Tata Steel’s commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. BD Nanda, Chief-Operations (FAP Jajpur, FAP Gopalpur, FAP Athagarh), Alok Kumar Panda, Head, FAP Jajpur, Ganesh Mishra, Head (Human Resource Business Partner) from FAMD, Ravneet Singh, Territory Manager (GAS), Rajesh Nayak, Associate Engineer and Asman Samal, Executive from BPCL, Odisha along with other senior officials of Tata Steel were present at the inaugural event held at FAP Jajpur.
