Cemvision, Tata Steel partner to explore steel slag conversion into low-carbon cement

Swedish green cement producer Cemvision and Tata Steel have partnered to explore converting steelmaking slag into high-value feedstock for near-zero-carbon cement, while also recovering valuable metals, Cemvision said in a statement Dec. 8.

The companies aim to conduct a joint feasibility study, supported by grants from the Swedish Energy Agency and India's Department of Science and Technology, to assess the technical and economic viability of upgrading slag from basic oxygen furnaces and electric arc furnaces.

Cemvision said the steel and cement industries combined account for over 15% of global CO2 emissions, with much of the slag produced in steelmaking landfilled or used in low-value applications. Cemvision's technology could transform these byproducts into high-performance inputs for next-generation cement, fostering industrial symbiosis between the two sectors, the company said.

The feasibility study will run for 10-12 months, with plans to design a demonstration facility at Tata Steel's site in India, aiming to develop a scalable, circular model that could be expanded to other markets, including India, according to Cemvision.

"Being able to, at scale, turn environmental liabilities into valuable resources is exactly the kind of climate innovation heavy industry needs," Cemvision CEO Oscar Hallen said. "In partnership with Tata Steel, we hope to show how steel slag can become a cornerstone of near-zero CO2 cement, while metals are recovered and returned to steel production."

For Tata Steel, the collaboration presents an opportunity to reduce CO2 emissions, enhance circularity, and generate new value from underutilized slag streams.

"This project can help us turn today's slag into tomorrow's low-carbon construction materials -- creating dual value across the steel and cement industries while advancing our net-zero ambitions," Subodh Pandey, vice president -- technology, R&D, NMB and graphene, Tata Steel, said.

The partnership is part of the India-Sweden Industry Transition Partnership, an initiative by the Leadership Group for Industry Transition, and was first announced by Swedish Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari and Indian Union Minister Bhupender Yadav during the UN Climate Change Conference, or COP30, in Belem. Additional partners include IIT ISM Dhanbad and JK Cement, according to Cemvision.