Industrial decarbonisation in stainless steel production
GENERAL NEWS
Outokumpu , a specialist in sustainable stainless steel , and Fortum , a Nordic clean energy company , have signed a Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU ) to explore the decarbonisation of Outokumpu ’ s steel manufacturing operations with emerging nuclear technology ; Small Modular Reactors ( SMR ).
The agreement initiates a long-term process with the aim to access potential construction of an SMR in Finland . In the first phase , the goal is to identify potential business models and technical solutions for further development . Any potential investment decisions will be made at a later stage .
Outokumpu has committed to the Science- Based Targets initiative ’ s 1.5 ° C climate target . Maintaining and increasing the share of low-carbon energy is important to achieving the company ’ s ambitious sustainability goals . Outokumpu and Fortum both play a key role in ensuring energy efficiency , emission reduction and competitiveness in Finland . One possible option for the location would be Tornio region in Finland , where Outokumpu ’ s largest mill is situated .
“ Outokumpu is Finland ’ s largest electricity buyer . For the steel industry to remain competitive in Finland , we need to have a sufficient amount of low-carbon and cost-effective energy ,” said Heikki Malinen ,
Heikki Malinen , President and CEO , Outokumpu .
President and CEO , Outokumpu . Outokumpu is also entering the metal powder business for additive manufacturing . Its new atomisation plant in Krefeld , Germany , started in April 2023 . The metal powder production further strengthens Outokumpu ’ s sustainability strategy and circular economy efforts by using the steel scrap from local production to create new solutions for the market . n
www
. outokumpu . com
Planning for the future with DisruptiveLab
Designed to test technology that will significantly reduce carbon emissions , Airbus ’ s DisruptiveLab concept helicopter flew for the first time this January .
Helicopters currently represent less than 1 % of aviation CO₂ emissions , yet to try to protect the planet for future generations , Airbus has made reducing the carbon emissions of its products an absolute priority .
“ At Airbus Helicopters , we are committed to the IATA target of flying net zero by 2050 ,” stated Tomasz Krysinski , Head of Research and Innovation , Airbus Helicopters . “ This is a key driver for our innovation strategy . We have a strong roadmap to meet IATA ’ s target , which includes different solutions : starting with the use of alternative fuels and further developing hybridisation and electrification – like the CityAirbus NextGen , our Advanced Air Mobility prototype .”
However , this new age of vertical lift will not happen overnight . This is why a key part of Airbus ’ s innovation strategy focuses on introducing innovations that will reduce carbon emissions .
To develop the next generation of innovations , Airbus relies on several flying laboratories as a way to quickly mature new technologies . The DisruptiveLab is a new demonstrator that flew for the first time on 13 January 2023 , with a new architecture . This latest flying laboratory will evaluate an efficient propulsion system by testing a fully parallel hybrid propulsion system that enables batteries to be recharged in-flight . Its new aerodynamic architecture is intended to reduce fuel consumption , by reducing mass and drag .
With a target of reducing carbon emissions by 50 %, various innovations will be tested and featured on the DisruptiveLab . The top five innovation for Tomasz Krysinski are listed below :
1 . “ A helicopter ’ s rotor hub is responsible for roughly 40 % of the drag in flight . The DisruptiveLab ’ s hub includes our entire blade concept with integrated dampers , which is completely compacted . Compared to previous helicopters , it offers a reduction of 40 % of drag . It really is an enormous step forward ,” explained Tomasz Krysinski .
2 . Whilst it might not immediately be apparent as a source of drag , the landing gear can also have an impact on aerodynamic performance . “ On every helicopter , there is always a compromise between the rotor and the landing gear , due to ground resonance . We are testing a completely new concept , it is highly integrated and allows us to significantly reduce the drag ,” added Krysinski .
3 . The shape of the fuselage is also designed to improve efficiency . “ We tested 40 configurations of the fuselage in a wind tunnel . The one we selected enables us to reduce drag by 20 % compared to the previous version ,” noted Krysinski . “ We also simplified the tail to reduce maintenance .”
4 . The Fenestron has also been redesigned to reduce the number of mechanical parts ; “ it has 40 % fewer parts compared to the previous version . The best mechanical part is the part you don ’ t have as it will never need to be maintained . This modulated Fenestron is even quieter , easier to maintain and the diameter of the hub has also been reduced . This reduces a global part of the tail , so consequently it reduces drag ,” commented Krysinski .
5 . With the DisruptiveLab , Airbus will also introduce reversible hybridisation , which allows transmission of power from the turbine to the batteries and vice versa . This will enable a huge reduction of CO₂ emissions . n
www . airbus . com
ISMR June 2023 | ismr . net | 9