Tata Steel has entered into a technology tie-up with Outotec Oyj for beneficiation of chromite tailings at Sukhinda in Odisha. The agreement is part of Tata Steel's efforts to bring about a 20% reduction in carbon foot print across its operations within the next ten years. Outotec's beneficiation technology will help Tata Steel in this initiative by allowing use of a tailings deposit as a raw material source for the production of chromite concentrate.

Beneficiation is a process that improves physical and chemical properties of the metallic ore that is extracted through mining,thus improving the yield from the ore. Outotec's delivery will include basic and detail engineering, technology, process equipment and services for plant erection, start-up, commissioning, and operator training. The plant is scheduled to be operational by mid-2015 and have an annual throughput of approximately 400,000 tonnes.

Incidentally, Tata Steel's initiative on reducing its carbon footprint is in line with its overall objective to lower carbon emissions to 1.5 tonne for every tonne of steel by 2020.