India backs carbon capture push to shield steel exports from EU carbon tax
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: The Centre plans to financially support carbon capture technology for India’s steel sector, betting on it as a practical way to cut emissions while protecting exports from the European Union’s (EU) upcoming carbon tax. The Union budget for FY27 has allocated ₹20,000 crore for carbon capture, a move expected to benefit steelmakers the most.
The government is positioning the scheme as a potential safeguard against the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which imposes extra taxes on carbon-intensive imports. CBAM came into effect on 1 January 2026. In 2025, India exported 8.6 million tonnes of steel, with the European Union accounting for a little over 40% of those shipments, according to commodities market intelligence firm BigMint.
“Carbon capture in India costs between ₹1,900 and ₹2,400 per tonne of carbon dioxide, or about $20 to $26," H.D. Kumaraswamy, union steel minister, told Mint in an interview. “A policy study shows that at least a 50% government subsidy will be needed to make it commercially viable for steel companies." India’s steel plants emit over 250 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year and are mostly coal-fed.
Carbon capture allows companies to trap carbon dioxide before it enters the atmosphere. For steelmakers, this will emerge as one of the cheapest and fastest ways to reduce pollution without shutting down existing plants, Kumaraswamy said. The initial focus will be large steel plants, where carbon is easier to trap.
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