India’s energy crisis forces metal makers to import fuel

11 May 2022 CW Team

India’s battling an energy crisis that is threatening to cut production in the world’s biggest sponge iron industry. The coal crisis in India has forced producers of sponge iron, a steelmaking feedstock to hunt for supplies overseas in order to keep their mills running. Importing the supplies is adding to inflationary pressures as they turn to pricier.

Industries are running out of the fossil fuel, as state-run behemoth Coal India diverts most of its output to power plants to keep the lights on amid worsening blackouts. The situation has been made worse as global coal prices have surged on tight supply, adding to the persistent inflation pressures in the country.

In the central state of Chhattisgarh, a hub for iron ore and steel-making, sponge iron makers are running at about 60 per cent of usual levels, the Chhattisgarh Sponge Iron Manufacturers Association said last month.

As per reports, Jindal Steel & Power, which is running its sponge iron plants at 40 per cent capacity as it doesn’t have enough of the fossil fuel, has contracted orders for 150,000 tons of thermal coal each for the months of May and June from South Africa and Mozambique.

India’s sponge iron industry may ship in as much as 35 million tons of coal this financial year, 30 per cent more than a year earlier, according to the Sponge Iron Manufacturers Association reports. Sponge iron is a steel-making raw material produced after heating iron ore at high temperatures using carbon in the form coal or gas.

The country should also speed up environmental clearances and set a production deadline for miners that have won leases in auctions to bring more output quickly. The faster the mines start production, the better it is for the country.

Technology

28 Oct 2025

Building Faster, Smarter, and Greener!

Backed by ULCCS’s century-old legacy, U-Sphere combines technology, modular design and sustainable practices to deliver faster and more efficient projects. In an interaction with CW, Rohit Prabhakar, Director - Business Development, shares how the company’s integrated model of ‘Speed-Build’, ‘Smart-Build’ and ‘Sustain-Build’ is redefining construction efficiency, quality and environmental responsibility in India.U-Sphere positions itself at the intersection of speed, sustainability and smart design. How does this translate into measurable efficiency on the ground?At U..

Smart Roads, Smarter India

India’s infrastructure boom is not only about laying more kilometres of highways – it’s about building them smarter, safer and more sustainably. From drones mapping fragile Himalayan slopes to 3D machine-controlled graders reducing human error, technology is steadily reshaping the way projects are planned and executed. Yet, the journey towards digitisation remains complex, demanding not just capital but also coordination, training and vision.Until recently, engineers largely depended on Survey of India toposheets and traditional survey methods like total stations or DGPS to prepare detai..

What Does DCPR 2034 Mean?

The Maharashtra government has eased approval norms for high-rise buildings under DCPR 2034, enabling the municipal commissioner to sanction projects up to 180 m on large plots. This change is expected to streamline approvals, reduce procedural delays and accelerate redevelopment, drawing reactions from developers, planners and industry experts about its implications for Mumbai’s vertical growth.Under the revised DCPR 2034 rules, buildings on plots of 2,000 sq m or more can now be approved up to 180 m by the municipal commissioner, provided structural and geotechnical reports are certified b..