Tata Steel and German energy technology company Kraftblock GmbH have completed nearly one year of operations of a thermal energy storage system installed at Sinter Plant No. 3 at Tata Steel’s Jamshedpur Works. The pilot project focuses on recovering high-temperature waste heat generated during the sintering process and reusing it within the production cycle.
The system captures heat that would normally be released into the atmosphere during the sintering stage of steelmaking. This recovered heat is stored and later used to warm process water required for the same stage of production.
The approach reduces the need for additional fuel while improving energy efficiency within the sinter plant. According to Tata Steel, the system is contributing to a reduction of approximately 22,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
The project began as a pilot initiative and has been operating reliably over the past year. The performance of the system has demonstrated how industrial waste heat can be captured and reused within existing processes without major changes to production infrastructure.
Chaitanya Bhanu, Vice President – Operations at Tata Steel Jamshedpur, said improving energy efficiency is a key component of reducing emissions in steelmaking operations. He noted that the thermal storage system shows how waste heat generated during an energy-intensive stage of production can be recovered and reused within the process.
Dr Martin Schichtel, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Kraftblock GmbH, said the project highlights the potential for heat recovery and storage in steel manufacturing. He added that similar systems could be applied in other areas of steel production where high temperatures are involved, including furnaces and flaring zones.
The pilot project forms part of Tata Steel’s broader sustainability and process innovation strategy. Based on the results achieved at Sinter Plant No. 3, the company is evaluating opportunities to deploy similar systems in other areas of the plant where high-temperature waste heat is generated.
The collaboration was carried out under TomorrowLAB, Tata Steel’s startup engagement programme that identifies and tests innovative solutions developed by emerging technology companies. The initiative focuses on projects aimed at improving sustainability, operational efficiency, and process performance across the company’s value chain. Sintering is a key step in steelmaking in which iron ore fines are heated and fused to form larger lumps known as sinter, which are then used as feedstock for blast furnaces.
Tata Steel is one of the world’s leading steel producers, with an annual crude steel capacity of about 35 million tonnes and a highly diversified global footprint. The group operates across five continents with manufacturing and commercial presence worldwide and reported a consolidated turnover of approximately US$26 billion for the financial year ended March 31, 2025.
A Great Place to Work®–certified organisation, Tata Steel Limited and its subsidiaries, associates, and joint ventures together employ more than 76,000 people globally. The company has set ambitious sustainability goals, including achieving Net Zero emissions by 2045, reinforcing its long-term commitment to responsible growth.
The company is also advancing a multi-year, digital-led transformation aimed at becoming a leader in digital steelmaking. This effort has earned Tata Steel Global Lighthouse recognition from the World Economic Forum for its Jamshedpur, Kalinganagar, and IJmuiden plants, along with the ‘Digital Enterprise of India – S
Tata Steel has been recognised as a Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lighthouse by the World Economic Forum and has been part of the DJSI Emerging Markets Index since 2012, consistently ranking among the top ten steel companies in sustainability assessments. Its Jamshedpur plant was India’s first to receive ResponsibleSteel™ certification, followed by Kalinganagar and Meramandali, with over 90% of its Indian steel production now certified. The company has also received numerous national and global honours across sustainability, ethics, risk management, financial reporting, branding, and sports promotion, reflecting its strong performance across business, governance, and social impact.
