Tata Steel Nederland has opened a modern TCCT (Trivalent Chromium Coating Technology) coating line in IJmuiden, complying with European REACH regulations and marking the closure of its strategic innovation and sustainability program at the site. Following two years of construction, the inauguration was celebrated with global customers and will enable the production of chromium-coated steel substrate for Protact products.
With this line, Tata Steel efficiently integrates the production of steel substrates, film manufacturing, and lamination in a single facility, offering high-performance packaging steel with efficiency and flexibility, capable of meeting the growing demand of various packaging market segments.
Protact TCCT, the resulting pre-coated material, significantly simplifies the can manufacturing process. As a tin and lacquer-free product, it eliminates the need for post-curing, reducing natural gas consumption, volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, and water usage. In addition, its polymeric coating is food-safe, BPA and PFAS-free, and meets all regulatory requirements. It is designed for applications in food cans, aerosols, and industrial packaging.
The material has already demonstrated commercial success, offering manufacturers and brands benefits such as product rationalization, improved lead times, and future-proofing, in addition to eliminating lengthy lacquer approval processes.
After years of research and testing, Tata Steel developed TCCT, the first trivalent coating technology in 50 years, which replaces hexavalent chromium and ensures greater safety for workers, fully complying with European REACH legislation.
Peter Bernscher, senior sales strategy executive, emphasizes that “the steel of the future for packaging must be sustainable, comply with regulations, improve manufacturing efficiency and shelf performance. Protact TCCT meets all these requirements and represents the beginning of a more sustainable future in the steel for packaging industry.”
