Decarbonization of the Iron and Steel Industry with Direct Reduction of Iron Ore with Green Hydrogen
Production of iron and steel releases seven percent of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Incremental changes in present primary steel production technologies would not be sufficient to meet the emission reduction targets. Replacing coke, used in the blast furnaces as a reducing agent, with...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-02-01
|
| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/3/758 |
| _version_ | 1798038627295428608 |
|---|---|
| author | Abhinav Bhaskar Mohsen Assadi Homam Nikpey Somehsaraei |
| author_facet | Abhinav Bhaskar Mohsen Assadi Homam Nikpey Somehsaraei |
| author_sort | Abhinav Bhaskar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Production of iron and steel releases seven percent of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Incremental changes in present primary steel production technologies would not be sufficient to meet the emission reduction targets. Replacing coke, used in the blast furnaces as a reducing agent, with hydrogen produced from water electrolysis has the potential to reduce emissions from iron and steel production substantially. Mass and energy flow model based on an open-source software (Python) has been developed in this work to explore the feasibility of using hydrogen direct reduction of iron ore (HDRI) coupled with electric arc furnace (EAF) for carbon-free steel production. Modeling results show that HDRI-EAF technology could reduce specific emissions from steel production in the EU by more than <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <mn>35</mn> <mo>%</mo> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>, at present grid emission levels (295 kgCO<sub>2</sub>/MWh). The energy consumption for 1 ton of liquid steel (tls) production through the HDRI-EAF route was found to be <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <mn>3.72</mn> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula> MWh, which is slightly more than the <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <mn>3.48</mn> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula> MWh required for steel production through the blast furnace (BF) basic oxygen furnace route (BOF). Pellet making and steel finishing processes have not been considered. Sensitivity analysis revealed that electrolyzer efficiency is the most important factor affecting the system energy consumption, while the grid emission factor is strongly correlated with the overall system emissions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T21:43:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-86813bc9c8b04962bac6ac9909af84f1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T21:43:11Z |
| publishDate | 2020-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-86813bc9c8b04962bac6ac9909af84f12022-12-22T04:01:32ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732020-02-0113375810.3390/en13030758en13030758Decarbonization of the Iron and Steel Industry with Direct Reduction of Iron Ore with Green HydrogenAbhinav Bhaskar0Mohsen Assadi1Homam Nikpey Somehsaraei2University of Stavanger, Faculty of Science and Technology, Instiute of Energy and Petroleum Engineering, 4036 Stavanger, NorwayUniversity of Stavanger, Faculty of Science and Technology, Instiute of Energy and Petroleum Engineering, 4036 Stavanger, NorwayUniversity of Stavanger, Faculty of Science and Technology, Instiute of Energy and Petroleum Engineering, 4036 Stavanger, NorwayProduction of iron and steel releases seven percent of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Incremental changes in present primary steel production technologies would not be sufficient to meet the emission reduction targets. Replacing coke, used in the blast furnaces as a reducing agent, with hydrogen produced from water electrolysis has the potential to reduce emissions from iron and steel production substantially. Mass and energy flow model based on an open-source software (Python) has been developed in this work to explore the feasibility of using hydrogen direct reduction of iron ore (HDRI) coupled with electric arc furnace (EAF) for carbon-free steel production. Modeling results show that HDRI-EAF technology could reduce specific emissions from steel production in the EU by more than <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <mn>35</mn> <mo>%</mo> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>, at present grid emission levels (295 kgCO<sub>2</sub>/MWh). The energy consumption for 1 ton of liquid steel (tls) production through the HDRI-EAF route was found to be <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <mn>3.72</mn> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula> MWh, which is slightly more than the <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <mn>3.48</mn> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula> MWh required for steel production through the blast furnace (BF) basic oxygen furnace route (BOF). Pellet making and steel finishing processes have not been considered. Sensitivity analysis revealed that electrolyzer efficiency is the most important factor affecting the system energy consumption, while the grid emission factor is strongly correlated with the overall system emissions.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/3/758hydrogendirect reduction of iron oregreen steel productionindustrial decarbonization |
| spellingShingle | Abhinav Bhaskar Mohsen Assadi Homam Nikpey Somehsaraei Decarbonization of the Iron and Steel Industry with Direct Reduction of Iron Ore with Green Hydrogen Energies hydrogen direct reduction of iron ore green steel production industrial decarbonization |
| title | Decarbonization of the Iron and Steel Industry with Direct Reduction of Iron Ore with Green Hydrogen |
| title_full | Decarbonization of the Iron and Steel Industry with Direct Reduction of Iron Ore with Green Hydrogen |
| title_fullStr | Decarbonization of the Iron and Steel Industry with Direct Reduction of Iron Ore with Green Hydrogen |
| title_full_unstemmed | Decarbonization of the Iron and Steel Industry with Direct Reduction of Iron Ore with Green Hydrogen |
| title_short | Decarbonization of the Iron and Steel Industry with Direct Reduction of Iron Ore with Green Hydrogen |
| title_sort | decarbonization of the iron and steel industry with direct reduction of iron ore with green hydrogen |
| topic | hydrogen direct reduction of iron ore green steel production industrial decarbonization |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/3/758 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT abhinavbhaskar decarbonizationoftheironandsteelindustrywithdirectreductionofironorewithgreenhydrogen AT mohsenassadi decarbonizationoftheironandsteelindustrywithdirectreductionofironorewithgreenhydrogen AT homamnikpeysomehsaraei decarbonizationoftheironandsteelindustrywithdirectreductionofironorewithgreenhydrogen |