In the bustling industrial heart of Chhattisgarh, where steel manufacturing powers economic growth, Real Ispat and Power Ltd. (RIPL) stands as a trailblazer. Faced with the dual challenges of rising energy costs and increasing demands for sustainable operations, RIPL turned to ABB for a transformative solution. What emerged from this partnership is a testament to how innovation can help industries not just keep pace but outrun – leaner and cleaner.
A sector wrestling with challenges
Steel manufacturing is an energy-intensive industry. According to the International Energy Agency, it accounts for 7% of global CO₂ emissions, making it one of the most significant contributors to climate change. In India, where industrial energy demand is among the highest globally, steelmakers are grappling with spiraling energy costs and regulatory pressures to reduce emissions.
For RIPL, a leading player in the steel sector, these challenges hit close to home. Their operations, spanning the processing of iron ore into sponge iron and the production of premium steel products, relied heavily on electric motors, machinery that consumed vast amounts of energy across critical processes like milling, dedusting, and rolling. The stakes were clear: find a way to cut costs, reduce emissions, and stay competitive, or risk falling behind.
Collaboration with ABB Motion
The game-changing answer lay in ABB Motion’s innovative solutions, redefining how energy efficiency could drive reliability and sustainability. At the core of this transformation were ABB’s IE3 General and Process Performance motors ranging from 1.5kW to 710kW and Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), precision-engineered to not just perform but excel under demanding conditions.
ABB’s high-efficiency motors became the silent powerhouses behind RIPL’s operations, seamlessly optimizing energy use across critical tasks like pumping, conveying, and crushing. Meanwhile, the introduction of VFDs brought a level of control that transformed efficiency, adjusting motor speed with precision, enabling unmatched operational flexibility and significant energy savings.
With a forward-thinking approach, RIPL took bold steps like implementing hot charging of MS billets. This eliminated the need for energy-draining reheating, slashing costs and carbon emissions in one innovative stroke. Furnace coil modifications added another layer of optimization, ensuring every watt of energy was maximized.
A sustainable transformation
- Energy savings: RIPL saved ~3 million kWh annually, with an additional 600,000 kWh reduction achieved through a switch to LED lighting.
- Carbon footprint: By adopting DOLOCHAR as fuel in their boilers and implementing hot charging, RIPL significantly cut CO₂ emissions, positioning itself as a sustainability leader in the sector.
- Cost competitiveness: Reduced energy costs freed resources for strategic investments, enabling RIPL to stay ahead in a fiercely competitive market.
A vision for the future
As energy efficiency regulations tighten and sustainability becomes a cornerstone of industrial operations, partnerships like the one between RIPL and ABB highlight what’s possible when innovation converges with aspiration. Real Ispat has not only reduced its environmental impact but also set a benchmark for the future of steel manufacturing in Small & Medium Enterprise (SME) sector.
This success is not just about motors and drives, it’s about reimagining what’s possible when industries commit to outrunning challenges and driving sustainable progress.
