Tata Steel has tied up with an Indian start-up company to pursue its aspiration of deploying Electric Vehicles (EVs) for transporting steel as part of its sustainability initiative.

This is the first-ever deployment of Electric Vehicles by any steel producer in the country for transportation of finished steel.

Tata Steel has contracted for 27 EVs, each with a carrying capacity 35 tonnes of steel (minimum capacity).

The company plans to deploy 15 EVs at its Jamshedpur plant and 12 EVs at its Sahibabad plant.

The first set of EVs for Tata Steel is being put in operation between Tata Steel BSL’s Sahibabad Plant and Pilkhuwa Stockyard in Uttar Pradesh.

At a virtual ceremony organised on Thursday, Tata Steel formally flagged-off the loaded vehicle at the Pilkhuwa Stockyard to move to the Sahibabad plant, 38km away.

Dibyendu Bose, vice- president, Supply Chain, Tata Steel, said, “It is a great occasion for us today as we are launching Electric Vehicles to move steel on the JRD Tata’s 117th birth anniversary. This initiative is aimed at reduction of Greenhouse gas emissions and will help protect the environment in the long run. It is the beginning of a new era for Tata Steel and the supply chain division and I wish them all success.”

Peeyush Gupta, Vice President Supply Chain (Designate), said “Tata steel has been a pioneer in introducing path-breaking initiatives in the past as well. While we have multiple initiatives focussed on customer service, this is a definitive step towards our commitment to environment. This initiative is also aligned to the government’s larger climate agenda and will surely serve as a cornerstone and a way forward for the industry to follow.”

The EVs being deployed comprise a 2.2 ton 230.4 kWh Lithium ion battery pack with a sophisticated cooling system and a battery management system giving it capability to operate at ambient temperatures up to 60 degrees Celsius.

The battery pack would be powered by a 160-kWh charger setup which would be able to charge the battery from 0 to 100% in 90 minutes.

Tata Steel’s vision is to be the global steel industry benchmark in value creation and corporate citizenship.

Sustainable business practices are key enablers to achieving this vision.