In December 2025, India and Sweden have launched seven collaborative decarbonisation projects to reduce carbon(C) emissions in the steel and cement sectors, marking a joint effort to support India’s net‑zero by 2070 goals and promote sustainable industrial practices.
- The projects span hydrogen use in rotary kilns for low-carbon steelmaking, steel-slag recycling to produce green cement, and the application of Artificial Intelligence(AI) tools to accelerate decarbonisation in cement production.
Exam Hints:
- What? Launch of 7 Decarbonization Projects
- Partners: India and Swedish technology innovators
- Indian Companies: Tata Steel Ltd, JK Cement Ltd, Ambuja Cements Ltd, Jindal Steel & Power Ltd, Prism Johnson Ltd, My Home Industries Pvt Ltd
- Swedish Partners: Cemvision, Kanthal, Swerim, Höganäs AB, Metsol AB, Captimise AB
- Research Partners: IIT Bombay, IIT-ISM Dhanbad, IIT Bhubaneswar, IIT Hyderabad, Datta Meghe College of Engineering
- Alignment: India Net-Zero Target 2070
- Key Technologies: Hydrogen Rotary Kilns, AI for Concrete Mix, CO2 Conversion, Electric Heating, Carbon Capture
Key Details of Partnerships:
Project Framework: The seven selected initiatives are structured as pre-pilot feasibility studies under the LeadIT Industry Transition Partnership.
Support: They are jointly supported by India’s Department of Science and Technology(DST) under the Ministry of Science & Technology(MoS&T) and the Swedish Energy Agency.
Indian Companies: Tata Steel Limited, JK Cement Limited, Ambuja Cements Limited, Jindal Steel and Power Limited, Prism Johnson Limited, and My Home Industries Private Limited.
Swedish Partners: Cemvision, Kanthal, Swerim, Höganäs AB, Metsol AB, Captimise AB.
Research Institutes: IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Bombay, IIT-ISM (Institute for Supply Management) Dhanbad, IIT Bhubaneswar, IIT Hyderabad, Datta Meghe College of Engineering.
Alignment : Supports India’s net-zero targets by 2070, contributing to the country’s long-term climate ambitions and clean infrastructure development.
About 7 Green Tech Projects :
Hydrogen and Electrification in Steelmaking:
- Tata Steel and IIT Hyderabad (GREEN14): Using microwave plasma to convert blast furnace CO₂ into carbon monoxide(CO), which can be reinjected into steelmaking.
- Kanthal and Swerim with Jindal Steel & Power: Exploring electric heating methods in steel production with hydrogen and other process gases to achieve CO₂-neutral operations.
- Metsol AB, Höganäs AB, Hoganas India Ltd, IIT Bhubaneswar: Conducting a pilot on fossil-free ironmaking using hydrogen and electrically heated rotary kilns, reducing dependency on coal.
Green Cement and Carbon Capture Initiatives:
- Tata Steel and Cemvision: Recycling steel slag to produce sustainable supplementary cementitious materials, promoting industrial symbiosis and circular economy principles.
- Ambuja Cements and IIT Bombay: Feasibility study for integrated Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) units in cement plants.
- Captimise AB (Andritz Group) and My Home Industries (Maha Cement): Evaluating multiple carbon capture technologies like amine absorption, hot potassium carbonate, and membrane-based solutions.
AI and Process Optimization in Cement Industry:
- Ecometrix AM, Prism Johnson, Datta Meghe College of Engineering: Pilot of AI -based platform ACORN to optimize concrete mix designs, reducing emissions and enhancing efficiency.
About Sweden:
Prime Minister (PM)– Ulf Hjalmar Kristersson
Capital-Stockholm
Currency– Swedish Krona (SEK)
