Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) has inaugurated the world’s first steel slag road within a private port, setting a global milestone in sustainable infrastructure. The 1.1-kilometre road, located at Hazira Port in Surat, connects the Multi-Purpose Berth (MPB-1) to the coal yard and plays a vital role in internal cargo movement.
While this is India’s third steel slag road, it is the first globally at any private port. The road has been built using processed steel slag aggregates—an industrial by-product from steel manufacturing—transforming waste into robust, long-lasting infrastructure. This aligns with India’s circular economy goals, offering higher load-bearing capacity, increased durability, and lower construction costs and carbon emissions.
The project forms part of Phase II of the Bulk and General Cargo Terminal (BGCT) expansion and was developed jointly by APSEZ, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), and the Union Ministry of Science and Technology. CSIR-CRRI engineered a flexible pavement design specifically for port logistics.
The inauguration was attended by key scientific and industry leaders, including Vijay Kumar Saraswat (Member, NITI Aayog), N. Kalaiselvi (Director-General, CSIR), and Manoranjan Parida (Director, CSIR-CRRI). Satish Pandey, Senior Principal Scientist and inventor of the steel slag road technology, and Anand Marathe, COO of Adani Hazira Port Ltd., also participated.
APSEZ stated that this initiative reflects its leadership in transforming India’s logistics sector by integrating innovation, sustainability, and industrial ecology. The project contributes to the government’s Waste to Wealth mission and is expected to inspire similar green infrastructure developments across the country.