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Minimizing CO2 emissions with renewable energy : a comparative study of emerging technologies in the steel industry

Marian Flores Granobles (UGent) and Mark Saeys (UGent)
(2020) ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. 13(7). p.1923-1932
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Abstract
CO(2)emissions from the steel industry are amongst the most difficult to abate, since carbon is used as a stoichiometric reducing agent in most steel mills. This carbon ends up as a CO/CO(2)mixture in the steel mill gases, which are combusted to generate heat, electricity, and more CO2. Strategies to capture and store (CCS), utilize (CCU) or avoid CO(2)in steel production exist, but are highly dependent on the availability of renewable electricity for the production of low-carbon H-2. Steel mill gas contains energy, and can thus be re-used more easily than combustion gas or process gas from the cement industry. In this study, we evaluate several strategies to reduce CO(2)emissions in the steel industry and rank them according to their renewable electricity requirement. We propose the following steps: (1) shut down the steel plant's power plant, since it produces electricity with a carbon intensity that is even higher than coal-based power plants; (2) replace steel mill gas with natural gas to generate heat within the steel mill; (3) recover the reducing gases, H(2)and CO, from the steel mill gases:e.g., using pressure swing adsorption to obtain a H-2-rich stream from COG, and sorption-enhanced water gas shift to obtain a H-2-rich stream and a pure CO(2)stream from BFG and BOFG; (4) the recovered H(2)converts some of the CO(2)to methanol, excess CO(2)is stored. The proposed CCUS scenario can retrofit existing infrastructure, uses proven technology and reduces CO(2)emissions by 70% for a marginal renewable electricity demand. Other energy-intensive alternatives have the potential to reduce CO(2)emissions by 85%, but require an order-of-magnitude more renewable electricity.
Keywords
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment, Nuclear Energy and Engineering, Pollution, Environmental Chemistry, CO2 UTILIZATION, CARBON CAPTURE, HYDROGEN, METHANOL, STORAGE, CYCLE, IRON

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:

MLA
Flores Granobles, Marian, and Mark Saeys. “Minimizing CO2 Emissions with Renewable Energy : A Comparative Study of Emerging Technologies in the Steel Industry.” ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, vol. 13, no. 7, 2020, pp. 1923–32, doi:10.1039/d0ee00787k.
APA
Flores Granobles, M., & Saeys, M. (2020). Minimizing CO2 emissions with renewable energy : a comparative study of emerging technologies in the steel industry. ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, 13(7), 1923–1932. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0ee00787k
Chicago author-date
Flores Granobles, Marian, and Mark Saeys. 2020. “Minimizing CO2 Emissions with Renewable Energy : A Comparative Study of Emerging Technologies in the Steel Industry.” ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 13 (7): 1923–32. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0ee00787k.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Flores Granobles, Marian, and Mark Saeys. 2020. “Minimizing CO2 Emissions with Renewable Energy : A Comparative Study of Emerging Technologies in the Steel Industry.” ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 13 (7): 1923–1932. doi:10.1039/d0ee00787k.
Vancouver
1.
Flores Granobles M, Saeys M. Minimizing CO2 emissions with renewable energy : a comparative study of emerging technologies in the steel industry. ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. 2020;13(7):1923–32.
IEEE
[1]
M. Flores Granobles and M. Saeys, “Minimizing CO2 emissions with renewable energy : a comparative study of emerging technologies in the steel industry,” ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, vol. 13, no. 7, pp. 1923–1932, 2020.
@article{8665943,
  abstract     = {{CO(2)emissions from the steel industry are amongst the most difficult to abate, since carbon is used as a stoichiometric reducing agent in most steel mills. This carbon ends up as a CO/CO(2)mixture in the steel mill gases, which are combusted to generate heat, electricity, and more CO2. Strategies to capture and store (CCS), utilize (CCU) or avoid CO(2)in steel production exist, but are highly dependent on the availability of renewable electricity for the production of low-carbon H-2. Steel mill gas contains energy, and can thus be re-used more easily than combustion gas or process gas from the cement industry. In this study, we evaluate several strategies to reduce CO(2)emissions in the steel industry and rank them according to their renewable electricity requirement. We propose the following steps: (1) shut down the steel plant's power plant, since it produces electricity with a carbon intensity that is even higher than coal-based power plants; (2) replace steel mill gas with natural gas to generate heat within the steel mill; (3) recover the reducing gases, H(2)and CO, from the steel mill gases:e.g., using pressure swing adsorption to obtain a H-2-rich stream from COG, and sorption-enhanced water gas shift to obtain a H-2-rich stream and a pure CO(2)stream from BFG and BOFG; (4) the recovered H(2)converts some of the CO(2)to methanol, excess CO(2)is stored. The proposed CCUS scenario can retrofit existing infrastructure, uses proven technology and reduces CO(2)emissions by 70% for a marginal renewable electricity demand. Other energy-intensive alternatives have the potential to reduce CO(2)emissions by 85%, but require an order-of-magnitude more renewable electricity.}},
  author       = {{Flores Granobles, Marian and Saeys, Mark}},
  issn         = {{1754-5692}},
  journal      = {{ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE}},
  keywords     = {{Renewable Energy,Sustainability and the Environment,Nuclear Energy and Engineering,Pollution,Environmental Chemistry,CO2 UTILIZATION,CARBON CAPTURE,HYDROGEN,METHANOL,STORAGE,CYCLE,IRON}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{7}},
  pages        = {{1923--1932}},
  title        = {{Minimizing CO2 emissions with renewable energy : a comparative study of emerging technologies in the steel industry}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1039/d0ee00787k}},
  volume       = {{13}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}

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