Tata Steel UK uses bacteria-technology to recycle its emissions

Tata Steel Ltd's blast furnaces in the United Kingdom are using billions of microscopic bacteria to recycle its emissions into raw materials for other sectors, including food packaging and animal feed. Led by the University of South Wales, a pilot project has been established at the two Tata Steel UK Port Talbot ironmaking furnaces in Wales. The initiative is already showing encouraging results, even though it is still in its early stages. Dr Rhiannon Chalmers-Brown from the University of South Wales told the media that they are testing bubbles off-gases from the blast furnaces via sewage sludge, which has a specific kind of bacteria able to consume carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) both. She said the team was gaining high levels of carbon utilisation, which they think can rise to about 98%. Dr Brown said that the waste products from those bacteria comprise acetic and volatile fatty acids, which can be used in paints, bioplastic polymers or even animal feeds. The project is a cooperation between Tata Steel and the university that looks at how waste gases from steelmaking operations in Port Talbot may be captured and utilised to help other industries while lowering CO2 emissions. Dr Chalmers-Brown said that while this effort focuses on blast furnace gases, almost every iron and steelmaking technology generates carbon-based gases. Therefore, this technology has the potential to cut emissions regardless of the technology route selected. She added that there is still a lot of work to do with the pilot reactor, collecting data and understanding what they can about the biological reactions. Tata Steel told the media that it is creating detailed plans for this transition to future steelmaking based on decreased CO2 technologies. The company said that it has the ambition to generate net-zero steel by 2050 in the UK and decrease 30% of CO2 emissions by 2030. The majority of that work would need to happen in South Wales, where the company's largest operational site is located. Image Source Also read: Tata Steel arm bags majority govt stake in NINL for Rs 12,100 cr