Eliminating GHG emissions from steam production in integrated steel mills

Abstract

The steel industry is transitioning to clean energy and away from fossil fuels, and as a result, many new technologies are being adopted to change the process and eliminate the reliance on fossil fuels. Many steel producers are moving away from reduced iron and electric arc furnaces. The steel industry is also considering new technologies such as hydrogen and carbon capture and storage/utilization as pathways to reach net zero. Reducing GHG emissions from steam generation is an additional strategy that works in tandem with these other strategies, and it is the focus of this abstract.

Steam generation is essential to the operation of integrated steel mills, and is traditionally generated with by-product fuels, natural gas, and/or oil. As mor4e coke plants and blast furnaces are shutdown, there is less available by-product fuels for steam generation. Reducing CO2 emissions from steam generation can be seen as a 'low-lying fruit', and with increasing carbon tax in many jurisdictions, there is also the potential for financial savings by using technologies such as waste heat recovery, electric boilers, and thermal energy storage. In this abstract, we will discuss these potential methods to eliminate GHG emissions from steam generation in integrated steel mills.