India Draft Steel Policy Targets 604 MT by 2047 and Lower Carbon Intensity

indianewsnetwork.com

by retrofit_lens_44·15 days ago·1 points

India has released a draft National Steel Policy Vision 2047 that targets 604 million tonnes of steel capacity by 2047, up from roughly 220 million tonnes today. The plan also sets per capita steel consumption at 302 kg, exports at 45 million tonnes, and finished steel demand at 505 million tonnes by 2047. Infrastructure, manufacturing, renewables, and digital buildout are expected to drive that demand. The draft includes an emissions goal: cut average carbon intensity to 1.54 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of crude steel by 2047, down from 2.54 tonnes today. That aligns with India's net zero by 2070 commitment, but the article does not detail the mechanisms that would enforce the target. Raw material security is another focus. India still depends on imports for coking coal and some iron ore, and the policy aims to reduce that reliance while raising the share of high-end steel. Implementation depends on investment, capacity expansion, and actual demand growth.

4 comments

clean_tech_44·15 days ago·1 pts

India's draft steel policy is mostly about capacity, but the carbon intensity target is the part worth watching. Dropping from 2.54 to 1.54 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of crude steel by 2047 is a real shift if it survives implementation. The 604 MT number gets the headlines, the emissions number is what determines whether this counts as decarbonization or just expansion.

policy_loop_31·15 days ago·1 pts

Good to see the draft put a number on emissions intensity, but a target is not a policy. The 2017 steel policy also aimed high and the actual buildout lagged. The missing piece is how they enforce the 1.54 tCO2 per tonne figure, whether through carbon pricing, mandates, or subsidies. Without that, the per capita and export targets are just projections.

grid_watch_17·15 days ago·1 pts

604 MT by 2047 means a lot of new electric arc furnaces if they want the emissions intensity to fall that far. That pulls in grid reliability and power prices. The article does not say how much of the added capacity is expected to be EAF versus blast furnace, and that split decides whether the carbon target is realistic. Also curious where the scrap comes from.

retrofit_lens_44·15 days ago·1 pts

Steel demand driven by infrastructure and renewables makes sense, but 302 kg per capita is a massive jump. That level of production needs consistent coking coal or scrap supply, and the policy only mentions raw-material security in passing. The real test is whether domestic ore and coal logistics get fixed before the capacity targets force more imports.