On 8 December, Swedish and Indian stakeholders will gather at the Swedish Embassy in New Delhi to present seven joint projects in the steel and cement industries. The projects are part of the India–Sweden Industry Transition Partnership (ITP), which was launched by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Ulf Kristersson at the COP28 climate conference in 2023.
"By combining Swedish and Indian expertise and best practise, we contribute to the development of solutions that make heavy industry more sustainable, while also making it future proof. We believe these seven projects are the beginning of something bigger. While we are laying the foundation for technology demonstration we hope to also inspire and contribute to industrial transition globally. This is a clear and concrete step towards achieving climate goals, while also contributing to energy security and competitiveness in both countries", says Ludvig Lindström, Senior Advisor at the Swedish Energy Agency.
The event on 8 December is organised by the Swedish Embassy in cooperation with India's Department of Science & Technology and the Swedish Energy Agency, as well as other partners. The presentation marks a milestone in the cooperation and shows how Swedish expertise contributes to global climate goals.
The seven projects are:
Swedish company Ecotech Nordic Group AB and Indian company Ambuja Cements Lts will collaborate on a preliminary study at IIT Bombay. The project is developing an energy-efficient concept for capturing and converting carbon dioxide in the Indian cement industry. The preliminary study is being conducted in collaboration, with IIT Bombay contributing its water-based CCU technology, while EcoTech optimises energy requirements, utilises waste heat and integrates renewable electricity and heat. The work includes developing an energy balance, operating strategies, a digital twin and a technical-economic analysis compared to amine-based solutions. The result will be a basic design ready for pilot projects and a roadmap for a 5-tonne-per-day plant, with lower cost per tonne of carbon dioxide captured, a higher proportion of renewable energy and reduced CO₂ emissions.
The project is a collaboration between the Swedish company GREEN14, the Indian company Tata Steel and IIT Hyderabad in India. IIT Hyderabad is developing catalysts and membranes, GREEN14 is adapting and validating its plasma reactor using digital twin modelling, and Tata Steel is responsible for industrial integration and a technical-economic analysis. The goal is to develop validated reactor concepts, materials and feasibility analyses that pave the way for pilot and demonstration projects. The technology is based on a microwave plasma reactor that converts carbon dioxide in blast furnace gas into carbon monoxide. Instead of emitting CO₂, the process enables the creation of circular carbon flows within existing steel production, reducing emissions without costly conversions.
The aim of the project is to investigate how electric heating technologies can reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the Indian steel industry. Swedish companies Swerim AB and Kanthal AB are collaborating with Tata Steel and Jindal Steel and Power. The project will evaluate concepts for the electric heating of process gases, with a focus on hydrogen and other gases used in iron production. The result will be a technical feasibility study, descriptions of process concepts and a roadmap for future pilot projects.
Swedish company Cemvision's technology makes it possible to chemically modify even low-quality slag products from BOF/LD and EAF processes (blast furnace and electric arc furnace) and convert them into high-performance raw materials for cement with very low carbon dioxide emissions. At the same time, valuable metals can be recycled and returned to the steel industry, strengthening the circular resource flow. The project is a preliminary study in collaboration with Tata Steel, IIT-ISM Dhanbad and JK Cement to prepare a demonstration plant in India. The goal is industrial symbiosis, where by-products from the steel industry become a resource for cement production. This lays the foundation for a scalable circular model in India with the potential to spread globally.
Swedish company Ecometrix is conducting a preliminary study together with Prism Johnson Limited in India to investigate the possibility of adapting and introducing the AI-based platform ACORN for optimising concrete recipes. The work includes mapping local data and material conditions, testing the model's performance under Indian conditions, and developing methods for the secure handling of sensitive company data. The aim is to determine whether the technical, practical and commercial conditions exist for a future pilot project and large-scale implementation. The purpose is to reduce the climate impact of concrete without compromising on quality or cost.
Captimise AB from Sweden, part of the Andritz Group, is collaborating with My Home Industries Pvt. Ltd. (Maha Cement), a leading Indian conglomerate with a strong presence in cement, construction, real estate, media and green energy. Maha Cement's plants have already achieved steady reductions in carbon intensity through green energy and energy efficiency improvements, alternative fuels and WHRS integration, and this initiative is designed to build on that progress. The project will investigate three carbon capture technologies: amine absorption, hot potassium carbonate and membranes, for potential application at My Home Industries' cement plants. The project aims to identify the most technically and economically feasible capture method, develop a process design package for a future pilot plant, and evaluate the market opportunities for e-methanol.
This study is in line with India's national priorities in that it focuses on coal-based rotary kiln DRI, the highly carbon-intensive production method used in India. The project aims to conduct a feasibility study for a pilot plant based on a new fossil-free iron production process that uses hydrogen and an electrically heated rotary kiln. The concept will be evaluated in an Indian industrial context through collaboration between the Swedish companies Metsol AB, Höganäs AB and Hoganas India Ltd, and IIT Bhubaneswar. The study will analyse the technical and economic feasibility of a pilot plant in India, including energy requirements, CAPEX/OPEX levels, layout considerations and regulatory conditions. The results will form the basis for a decision on whether to launch a pilot project.
The partnership between Sweden and India
The operational work within ITP is organised into working groups in which the Swedish Energy Agency represents Sweden. On the Indian side, the Ministry of Steel, the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade, and the Department of Science & Technology are involved. The work is led by the Ministry of Climate and Industry and the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, with support from a secretariat under the Stockholm Environment Institute.
The Swedish Energy Agency's role in the green industrial transition
The Swedish Energy Agency supports innovation and creates conditions for joint projects between Swedish and Indian actors. We contribute knowledge, networks and financing to enable technical solutions to be tested and developed. Through our involvement in LeadIT and ITP, we strengthen Swedish companies' opportunities to participate in international collaborations and make Sweden a leading player in the green industrial transition.
