The Bio Steel Cycle: 7 Steps to Net-Zero CO2 Emissions Steel Production

Abstract

CO2 emissions have been identified as the main driver for climate change, with devastating consequences for the global natural environment. The steel industry is responsible for ~7–11% of global CO2 emissions, due to high fossil-fuel and energy consumption. The onus is therefore on industry to remedy the environmental damage caused and to decarbonise production. This desk research report explores the Bio Steel Cycle (BiSC) and proposes a seven-step-strategy to overcome the emission challenges within the iron and steel industry. The true levels of combined CO2 emissions from the blast-furnace and basic-oxygen-furnace operation, at 4.61 t of CO2 emissions/t of steel produced, are calculated in detail. The BiSC includes CO2 capture, implementing renewable energy sources (solar, wind, green H2) and plantation for CO2 absorption and provision of biomass. The 7-step-implementation-strategy starts with replacing energy sources, develops over process improvement and installation of flue gas carbon capture, and concludes with utilising biogas-derived hydrogen, as a product from anaerobic digestion of the grown agrifood in the cycle. In the past, CO2 emissions have been seemingly underreported and underestimated in the heavy industries, and implementing the BiSC, using the provided seven-steps-strategy will potentially result in achieving net-zero CO2 emissions in steel manufacturing by 2030.

Greater Energy Independence with Sustainable Steel Production

“…Throughout this project, global data sets in connection with renewable energy technology implementation in different settings were utilised [9][10][11][12][13][14]. Information on factual CO 2 emissions in steel production [15] and manufacturing [16][17][18] have been considered, as well as data from other industrial sectors [4,9,[19][20][21]. In order to visualise the opportunities of a circular steel production process, implementation of sustainable elements, and opportunities for achieving great energy independence, a comprehensive steel manufacturing overview has been compiled, as displayed in Figure 1.…”

“…The preceding publication 'The 7 Steps to Net Zero CO 2 Emissions Steel Production' [15] strategy can be seen as a strategic guidance paper for the decarbonisation of steelmaking, in tandem with this publication as a guideline for achieving higher energy independence. The systems implementation, as described in [15] will likely achieve a higher degree of energy independence, in the short term. It could be achieved in seven easy-to-follow steps, even if only some sections of the following are being applied:…”

“…This will have been produced in the link-connected anaerobic digester, which produces biogas from connected agri-businesses. The negative percentage reduction in emissions means, in reverse, that at these points in the (steel) production process, a greater degree of energy independence can be achieved at 30%, 49%, 65.7%, and 88% [15,50]. This implies that energy at the same percentage point levels is not required to be imported from external sources, as it is produced either on-site or link-connected.…”

Greater Energy Independence with Sustainable Steel Production

“…Throughout this project, global data in connection with renewable energy technology implementation in different settings has been utilised [9][10][11][12][13][14]. Information on factual CO2 emissions in steel production [15] and manufacturing [16][17][18] have been considered, as well as data from other industrial sectors [4, 9,[19][20][21]. In order to visualise the opportunities of a circular steel production process, implementation of sustainable elements and opportunities for achieving great energy independence, a comprehensive steel manufacturing overview has been compiled, as displayed in Figure 1.…”

“…'The 7 Steps to Net-Zero CO2 Emissions Steel Production' [15] strategy can be seen as a strategic guidance paper for the decarbonisation of steelmaking. Simultaneously, the BiSC [15] implementation will likely achieve a higher degree of energy independence, in the short-term. It could be achieved in seven easy-to-follow steps, even if only some sections of the following are being applied:…”