Growth of steel hinges on metallic availability

The semi-finished steel market, a critical part of the steel making process, forms the very basis of quality of raw material required and the final output at the hands of the consumers.

- Tamajit Pain

Sponge iron is used in steel manufacturing as a substitute to scrap steel.

It is also used as a substitute for pig iron, which uses coking coal for manufacturing, prices of which fluctuate due to supplydisruptions in Australia.

Thus sponge iron, pig iron, scrap, ingot and billet or the semis are an integral part of the whole process of steel making.

The Indian steel industry is structured in between three broad categories based on route wise production viz. BFBOF, EAF and IF. BF-BOF route producers have large integrated steel making facilities which utilize iron ore and coking coal for production of steel.

Unlike other large steel producers, the Indian steel industry is also characterized by the presence of a large number of small steel producers who utilize sponge iron, melting scrap and non-coking coal (EAF/IF route) for steelmaking. As on March 2016, there were 308 sponge iron producers that use iron ore/ pellets and non-coking coal/gas providing feedstock for steel production; 47 electric arc furnaces & 1128 induction furnaces that use sponge iron and/or melting scrap to produce semi-finished steel and 1392 re-rollers that rolls out semi-finished steel into finished steel products for consumer end use.

Thus demand for pig iron for merchant use, such as for castings and supplementary metallic in the electric arc or induction furnaces, is projected to increase to 17 million tons by 2030-31. Similarly, demand for sponge iron is projected to increase to 80 million tons by 2030-31. It is projected that the sponge iron capacity may increase to 114 million tons by 2030-31 with around 30 percent share of gas based capacities under increased environmental considerations and long term availability of gas.

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