Kalinganagar: Tata Steel Kalinganagar in Jajpur district of Odisha is setting a new standard for environmental stewardship in the steel industry by achieving over a 40% reduction in freshwater consumption through optimisation initiatives.
The milestone is a result of various advanced technologies used in the plant that has led to the reduction in freshwater consumption. The plant has implemented a range of initiatives to reduce its ecological footprint and foster sustainability.
Through continuous innovation and use of technological advancements like Central Effluent Treatment Plant with High-Efficiency Reverse Osmosis Technology, Mechanical Vapour Recompression (MVR), BOD (Biological Oxidation and Dephenolization) Plant with Tertiary Treatment, etc over the last seven years, the plant has drastically reduced its reliance on freshwater, achieving a staggering reduction of over 40%, thereby establishing a groundbreaking precedent for the steel industry, Tata Steel said in a statement.
Further to its commitment towards water conservation, the plant has also developed a ‘Rainwater Harvesting-cum-Percolation Pond’ at Kalinganagar. The pond spreading over 10500 square meters has the storage capacity of 46000 cubic meters and has a green cover over 10000 square meters. The rainwater harvesting structure will help in channelizing precious rainwater to percolate down and replenish underground water table.
The plant’s commitment to water conservation is further demonstrated operating as a ‘Zero Effluent Discharge Plant.’ The plant ensures that all water utilised in operations is treated in advanced Effluent Treatment Plants and is fully reused within the plant itself and no untreated water is discharged from the facility.
In addition to its other sustainability initiatives, the Tata Steel Kalinganagar plant has also embraced solar power as a key component of its renewable energy strategy. As part of this, a floating solar power project has been commissioned on the reservoir with a capacity of 10.1 MWp.
