The saying convert waste into wealth has been truly put into practice by Ruias-promoted Essar Steel as it would to be the first Indian steel company to become a zero waste and environment-friendly steel mill.

"We have taken various measures to utilise plant waste effectively to achieve our goal of becoming a zero waste company. It is our endeavour to make the world class plant into a green plant," Essar Steel Chief Executive Officer Dilip Oommen told PTI.

Essar Steel's 4.6 million tonne per annum (mtpa) at Hazira generates 20-24 per cent slag and less than one per cent dust, both are waste products.

The company has developed technologies to use slag for manufacturing cement, vitrified steel and build roads and dust for making bricks mixing it with rice husk. Other steel firms simply dump these wastes, he said.

"We intend to seek patent for these two technologies and give it to entrepreneurs who could use them for comemrcial purposes," Oommen said.

Essar Steel uses electric arc furnaces to produce the commodity in its lone domestic steel-making facility at Hazira in Gujarat. It is also setting up additional 4.9 mtpa facility adjoining to the existing plant.

Oommen said bricks, made out of the dust mixed with rice husk and other materials, are 60 per cent more stronger than the conventional bricks and sun-dried and hence do not require to bake them.

"Using slag, we have already built a road which is under testing," he said.