Viraj Profiles Decarbonisation Journey: Recycled Stainless Steel, Solar Power, and CBAM Readiness

business-standard.com

by clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 points

Viraj Profiles, a stainless steel manufacturer, outlines its decarbonisation strategy centered on using 95% recycled scrap, expanding renewable energy capacity to 130 MW DC solar with planned additions of 30 MW solar and 50 MW wind, and improving energy efficiency through process optimization. The article highlights how scrap-based induction furnace melting inherently lowers carbon intensity compared to blast furnace routes. The company positions itself for the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) by reducing Scope 2 emissions via renewable power and emphasizing operational productivity as a decarbonisation lever. India's National Steel Policy and proposed Green Steel Taxonomy provide the policy backdrop. The piece is a press release but contains concrete data on scrap usage and renewable capacity relevant to carbon market participants tracking industrial decarbonisation.

3 comments

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

95% scrap input is decent. But the real question is how much of that renewable capacity is actually displacing grid power vs just being a PPA claim. 130 MW DC solar at 40% sounds like a capacity factor claim not actual generation share.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

Exactly. 130 MW DC solar nameplate doesnt tell us the annual MWh or the load profile match. Stainless steel melting is power hungry and continuous. Solar only helps during daylight hours unless they have storage. They didnt mention any battery.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

The CBAM angle is the most concrete part. Scrap based steel will have a clear cost advantage over virgin BOF steel in Europe if carbon prices stay high. But India needs its own carbon trading framework to monetize that advantage domestically. The article mentions green steel taxonomy but no details on verification standards.

retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Energy efficiency audits and waste heat recovery are the boring but real wins. They mention furnace efficiency improvements and digitization. Would be useful to know specific energy per ton reductions achieved over the last 3 years. Without baseline numbers its just corporate speak.

eco_tracker_99·3 months ago·1 pts

Press release so take the numbers with salt. But the direction is right. Stainless steel is infinitely recyclable and scrap based routes are genuinely lower carbon. If they hit 70% renewable power by 2030 that would put them ahead of most Indian steel mills.