Jamshedpur: Tata Steel’s Combi-Mill plant in Jamshedpur will soon be powered by natural gas, with GAIL (India) Ltd formalising an agreement to supply fuel through its City Gas Distribution network in East Singhbhum.

Under the deal, GAIL will supply 31,000 standard cubic metres per day (SCMD) of natural gas until March 2026, and the volumes will rise to 43,000 SCMD thereafter. The supply is expected to commence by the end of September.

“This agreement represents the largest industrial customer onboarding since the inception of GAIL’s City Gas Distribution GAs located in Varanasi, Patna, Ranchi, East Singhbhum, Cuttack and Kordha,” the company said.

To facilitate the supply, GAIL has laid a 23-km pipeline connecting the Combi-Mill plant. General Manager and GA in-charge of GAIL, Gauri Shankar Mishra, said, “The collaboration with Tata Steel demonstrates the company’s dedication to providing cost-effective, environmentally sustainable, and operationally convenient energy solutions to India’s industrial sector.”

GAIL said it is preparing to connect more industrial units in the region as part of its larger plan to expand natural gas infrastructure and support the shift to cleaner energy. The agreement is expected to reduce the carbon footprint of Tata Steel’s production processes while ensuring consistent energy availability for operations.

BI Bureau