(406e) Identification of the Steel Decarbonization Options for Different Regions

Iron and steel manufacturing stands as a primary contributor to global CO2 emissions and ranks as the second-largest energy consumer among heavy industries. In the past decade alone, this sector has accounted for over 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, there exists an urgent imperative to identify practical pathways for substantial decarbonization. This research aims to analyze selected countries among the top eight steel producers –the U.S., Brazil, Germany, Turkey, China, India, Japan, and South Korea – to delineate practical decarbonization strategies.

Our analysis evaluated the impact of technology replacement, fuel switching, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) on energy demand, costs, and emissions in crude steel production. We employed two fundamental methodologies: Techno-economic Analysis (TEA) and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). Technology replacement explored alternatives such as state-of-the-art blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF-SOA), direct reduced iron with electric arc furnace (DRI-EAF and Hybrid-DRI-BOF) to replace the current blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) reliant on iron ores, as well as state-of-the-art electric arc furnace (EAF-SOA) to replace the current electric arc furnace (EAF) reliant on recycled steels. Fuel switching involved renewable electricity, renewable natural gas, and hydrogen. CCUS options focused on mono-ethanolamine (MEA). By factoring in regional-specific considerations such as materials and fuel inputs, electric power generation and network, green resource limitations, accessibility to new technologies, and policy constraints, we aimed to provide a recommended steel decarbonization pathway at the sector level with an optimized technology mix spanning from 2025 to 2050. We have also examined various scenarios under business as usual, carbon pricing, and incentives. Through this comprehensive analysis, our research endeavors to illuminate the most pragmatic and region-specific strategies for achieving deep decarbonization in the steel industry, thus offering a critical contribution to addressing the urgent global need for sustainable steel production.