Biomass coal substitution in steelmaking: RESCONS startup cuts emissions and coal use

RESCONS Solutions, a deep-tech startup incubated at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, has demonstrated that agricultural biomass can partially replace coal in steel production. In a trial at Jindal Steel and Power's coal gasification plant in Odisha, rice husk-based biomass pellets were co-fed with coal at 5-10 percent substitution. The gasifier ran steadily with no loss of efficiency, and the syngas produced was used directly in steelmaking. The approach cuts carbon dioxide emissions, reduces dependence on imported coal, and creates a use for agricultural waste that otherwise gets burned in fields. RESCONS founder Govind S Gupta says the technology is commercially proven and the remaining barrier is policy. He calls for government incentives and regulatory frameworks to drive adoption across the steel and power sectors, which together account for over 15 percent of India's CO2 emissions.