ABB Motion & RIPL: Spearheading Sustainable Steel in India

In the industrial hub of Chhattisgarh, India, steel manufacturer Real Ispat and Power Ltd. (RIPL) is working to build the future of green steel. 

Faced with rising energy costs and ongoing pressure to reduce emissions, RIPL has partnered with ABB to embrace sustainable transformation.

This collaboration has resulted in a tremendous increase in energy efficiency for RIPL, highlighting how innovation is critical to thriving in an increasingly eco-conscious and competitive world.

Sustainability, steel production & India

There has never been more of an impetus for steel manufacturers to rethink their operations.

As Fred Esterhuizen, Global Business Line Manager for Metals, ABB Process Industries told Manufacturing Digital in 2024:  "2025 will be a year of balancing acts for metals manufacturers."

This balancing act comes down to the need to pursue broader sustainability whilst managing operational challenges.

"As electric arc furnace usage rises globally and scrap recycling becomes more important and prominent, industry players must juggle regional demands, new tech and a pressing skills gap to continue to fuel sustainable, shared growth."

According to the International Energy Agency, the steel sector accounts for around 7% of global CO₂ emissions.

Manufacturing steel is notoriously unsustainable, producing heavy emissions and requiring extensive amounts of energy. 

But steel remains one of the most vital building materials to a host of industries, from construction to home appliances to the automotive industry.

Now, take this predicament and apply it to India: the world's second-largest producer of steel and a nation with high industrial energy demand. 

What is evident is that manufacturers there are under even greater pressure to enhance their sustainability.

Pressure which RIPL has felt deeply. 

The company's operations, which span from processing iron ore into sponge iron to producing premium steel products rely heavily on electric motors.

Motors which consume vast amounts of energy, performing critical processes like milling, dedusting and rolling.

The need for a solution that could cut energy costs, reduce emissions and maintain competitiveness was clear.

So RIPL naturally turned to one of the world's biggest leaders in sustainable motor innovation.

ABB: Supplying sustainable motor innovation

The solution came in the form of ABB Motion’s innovative technologies, which enabled RIPL to redefine energy efficiency while improving operational reliability.

This included ABB’s IE3 General and Process Performance motors, ranging from 1.5kW to 710kW, as well as Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs).

These precision-engineered motors have been designed to excel under the demanding conditions of steel manufacturing, optimising energy use across critical tasks such as pumping, conveying and crushing.

Introducing VFDs has allowed RIPL to fine-tune motor speeds with precision, offering greater flexibility in operations and leading to significant energy savings.

This precision control, coupled with ABB’s high-efficiency motors, ensured that RIPL could optimise its energy consumption without sacrificing performance.

"ABB's solutions have been pivotal in driving sustainability and boosting productivity, truly masking them a game changer for our business," says Shiv Agrawal, Director of Real Ispat and Power Ltd.

"By integrating motors with VFD's and leveraging ABB's high-efficiency motors, we achieved remarkable energy optimisation.

The energy savings were redirected into manufacturing new products, maximising operational efficiency and giving us a competitive edge in a demanding market, all while contributing positively to the environment." 

In addition to the motor and drive improvements, RIPL has also embraced bold  sustainable initiatives such as implementing hot charging of MS billets.

This process eliminated the need for energy-draining reheating, reducing both energy consumption and carbon emissions in one move.

Furnace coil modifications also played a critical role, ensuring that every watt of energy was utilised to its fullest potential.

A sustainable transformation

The results of RIPL’s collaboration with ABB have been nothing short of transformative.

The company has achieved impressive energy savings, cutting around 3 million kWh annually with an additional 600,000 kWh saved through a switch to energy-efficient LED lighting.

RIPL has also adopted Dolochar as fuel in their boilers.

Dolochar is a residual byproduct created during the direct reduction of iron (DRI) process involved in sponge iron manufacturing.

Utilising this product as fuel is one major way RIPL has enhanced its circularity in addition to implementing innovative processes like hot charging.

Through all this the manufacturer has significantly reduced its CO₂ emissions and achieved greater cost effectiveness. 

Lower energy costs have freed up valuable resources, enabling the company to reinvest in further strategic initiatives and maintain its edge in an increasingly competitive market.

All of this progress has been supercharged by the introduction of ABB's electric motors to RIPL's operations. 

"A testimony of ABB’s commitment to our customers in their journey of sustainability!," Sanjeev Arora, President of ABB Motion India said about the partnership on LinkedIn.

"Thank you Shiv Agrawal and REAL Group - GK TMT for using our Energy Efficient Motors and Drives in your plant." 

RIPL’s success is a testament to what can be achieved when industries embrace innovation and sustainability, setting a new benchmark for steel manufacturing

As energy efficiency regulations tighten and sustainability becomes a core pillar of industrial operations, the partnership between RIPL and ABB highlights the necessity of collaboration to create the global future of green steel.

Explore the latest edition of Manufacturing Digital and be part of the conversation at our global conference series, Manufacturing LIVE.

Sign up to our weekly newsletter here.

Discover all our upcoming events and secure your tickets today.