[ TECHNOLOGY ]
Ensuring the steady and abundant availability of renewable energy and green hydrogen at affordable prices must be a top priority , as both have the potential to enable large-scale low-carbon steel production .
not eliminating them entirely . A green H2-based DRI plant replaces fossil fuels in the DRI process , with hydrogen produced through electrolysis powered by renewable energy sources . This enables nearly emissionfree steel production . While the natural gas-fueled DRI- EAF route is a proven , loweremission alternative to the BF- BOF route , DRI technology using green H2 injection is not yet commercially viable for largescale green steel production . In the short term , some European and Indian steel producers are exploring the blending of H2 with natural gas in DRI plants as a transitional approach .
A third potential pathway for reducing emissions in primary steel production is to replace the blast furnace with a lowcarbon alternative while keeping the basic oxygen furnace operational . However , due to the global scarcity of scrap materials , the DRI-EAF process relies on high-quality iron ore more than the BF-BOF route , which can lead to issues like acidic slag formation that causes corrosion of EAF equipment and lowers yields . The DRI- Melt-BOF route uses an open slag bath furnace as a melting unit before transferring iron to the BOF . This process allows for the use of lower-grade iron ore , which makes up around 66 % of the world ’ s supply , and also utilizes existing BOF infrastructure . However , this technology is not yet as mature as gas-based DRI-EAF methods . If proven effective , this route could offer a promising solution for sustainable steelmaking , as
it partly uses existing assets and requires less upfront investment .
Borrowing technologies from other industries , such as aluminum production , can also aid in the transition to CO2-free steelmaking . A new technology known as electrolysis in iron production involves using renewable energy to electrolyze molten oxide , producing elemental iron and oxygen as a byproduct , without CO2 emissions . This process is still in the laboratory stage , but developers are working to scale it up to pilot plants .
In addition to these major technological landscapes , there are several other pathways that could help transition the steel industry to low-emission production . Improving the
30 Green Steel World | Issue 15 | November 2024