Development of Low-Emission Integrated Steelmaking Process

This paper provides a summary of the progress made over the 8 years of an R&D program that focused on the development of know-how and processes that could result in substantial reduction in net CO2 emission by the steel industry. The processes that were developed covered introduction of renewable carbon and energy sources as well as minimising waste heat from processes. The current status of each of the processes and application areas is provided. The use of biomass-derived fuels and reductants in the ironmaking and steelmaking industry provides a sustainable option for reducing net CO2 emissions at a lower capital cost and technological risk than other breakthrough technologies under development. A key focus of this program has been to partially substitute these fossil-based fuels with renewable carbon (charcoal) from sustainable sources such as plantations of biomass species or forest wastes. Raw biomass is unsuitable for applications in ironmaking and steelmaking and should be converted into charcoal (char) through a pyrolysis process before use. A new pyrolysis process which operates continuously and autogenously has been developed and piloted. The biomass-derived chars and hydrocarbon fuels have great potential in lowering the net CO2 emissions of integrated (BF-BOF route) steel plants.