Staged implementation of alternative processes for an integrated steel mill to improve performance and reduce CO2 emissions

Iron and steel production is responsible for 5 - 6% of the global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Recent greenhouse gas reduction targets may put this industry sector at a risk of severe carbon leakage. There are three main ways to reduce emission levels from currently highly efficient European iron and steel mills: -Implement novel, energy efficient processes, -Carbon Capture and Storage, -Utilization of carbon neutral reducing agents. Replacing part of the expensive coal as reducing agent in the blast furnace by pulverized coal injection (PCI) has the potential to increase the calorific value of the blast furnace top gas. Instead of combusting the top gas in a gas boiler, this higher calorific value top gas can be applied in a high-efficiency combined power cycle (GTCC) for low-BTU fuels. The mass and energy balances for the processes were established in Aspen Plusr. Two CO2 capture processes were compared; conventional MEA and Selexol. CONCLUSIONS: -Application of BF Plus concept enables significant reduction of site CO2 emissions (up to 1.8 Mt CO2/a), -Replacing the conventional gas boiler with a high-efficiency low-BTU gas turbine combined cycle more than doubles the fuel efficiency of the blast furnace top gas. Staged implementation enables minimised investment and technology risk when targeting higher performance and lower emissions.