Tata Steel BSL first in country to export LD slag to Bangladesh for cement making

Dhenkanal: Tata Steel BSL has exported 9 thousand tons (KT) of LD slag through Dhamra Port to Bangladesh market from its unit located in Dhenkanal district of Odisha.

This endeavour is another milestone in the company’s operations as it marks India’s first export of LD slag to Bangladesh.

Cemcoa Limited, a Hong Kong based trade house and an existing buyer of Tata Steel BSL, has shown keen interest in the market development of LD Slag in the cement-making process in Bangladesh and facilitated the export. Test and trial of LD slag has already been done in the concerned plant in Bangladesh. The proposed plan is to export 100 KT of LD slag per annum.

Commenting on this initiative Subodh Pandey, Chief Operating Officer of Tata Steel BSL said the company has always looked at operational and market facing innovations by creating value out of its by-products as part of its quest to a sustainable future. With a customer-centric approach, this is one of the series of interventions we are doing to supplement our product portfolio and explore newer markets.          

LD (Linz-Donawitz) slag is a by-product in steel making process and Tata Steel BSL at present generates approximately 1 million ton of it per annum. In collaboration with its customers, the steel major has developed 0-6 mm size slag range, for applications in slag cement, GGBS (Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag) and clinker making.

As part of its sustainable operations of by-products, Tata Steel BSL has been supplying LD slag to brick makers around the plant, national highway work, for hard surfacing and low land area filling, cement companies in Odisha and West Bengal, distributors in coastal Odisha for use in highway and brick work.

To take the journey forward, it is also working to develop counterweight for auto and HEMM (heavy earth moving machinery) segments and agriculture. The company has also achieved 100 % recycling of fly ash, LD slag and blast furnaces slag produced by it.