Context: Recently, the Minister of State for Steel & Rural Development highlighted the significance of the Steel Slag Road technology in achieving the  ‘Waste to Wealth’ mission.

About Steel Slag

• Steel slag is a byproduct generated during the steelmaking process. It is a solid waste material that accumulates around steel plants in large quantities. 

• In India, approximately 19 million tonnes of steel slag is produced annually, and this amount is expected to increase to 60 million tonnes by 2030. For every tonne of steel produced, about 200 kg of steel slag is generated. 

Challenges

• Environmental Pollution: Improper disposal of steel slag can result in environmental pollution, affecting water bodies, air quality, and land.

• Waste Management: With the increasing steel production, finding efficient and eco-friendly methods of disposing of the substantial amount of steel slag has become a challenge.

• Resource Underutilization: It contains valuable materials ( such as  titanium, nickel, vanadium, iron, aluminum, silica), which remains a resource that isn’t being used or recycled properly.

Steel Slag Road Technology

• Development: The technology has been developed by the Central Road Research Institute under a research project in collaboration with the Ministry of Steel and four major steel manufacturing companies.

• Reuse: This technology facilitates the large-scale utilization of waste steel slag of steel plants and has proved very useful in effective disposal of about 19 million tonnes of steel slag generated in the country. 

Example

• The 1st road made with steel slag road interpretation technology in Surat, Gujarat.

• Border Roads Organization has also constructed a steel slag road in Arunachal Pradesh.

• The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has also successfully used this technology in road construction on National Highway-66 (Mumbai-Goa).

Benefits

• Waste to Wealth: The Steel Slag Road technology aims to convert the waste steel slag into a valuable resource by incorporating it into road construction.

• Reduced Environmental Impact: Utilizing steel slag in road construction reduces the burden on landfill sites and minimizes its impact on the environment, leading to better waste management.

• Economic Advantages: It can lead to less reliance on natural aggregates and help build more cost-effective infrastructure.

• Longer Road Lifespan: Roads constructed with steel slag technology have demonstrated longer lifespans compared to conventional roads, indicating enhanced durability and sustainability.

• Collaboration and Research: The successful implementation of this technology involves collaboration between government ministries, research institutes like CRRI and major steel manufacturing companies, fostering innovation and technological advancements in the infrastructure sector.