More than 2 billion tons of steel are produced annually, making it the most important alloy in terms of volume and impact. While steel supports sustainability through lightweight design, magnetic devices and efficient turbines, for example, its primary production does not.
Iron is reduced from ore using carbon. The process generates a staggering 3 billion tons of total direct CO2 emissions amounting to 7% to 9% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.
CAMECA spoke with one of green steel’s pioneers, professor Dierk Raabe, managing director at the Max Plank Institute for Iron Research in Düsseldorf, Germany, on the critically important topic of sustainable steel made with hydrogen. In this article Professor Raabe explains:
- How CO2 emissions can be reduced when replacing carbon with hydrogen or its fossil-free carriers as a reducing agent.
- What progress the R&D and scientific communities are making in understanding the key mechanisms of hydrogen-based direct reduction and hydrogen-based plasma reduction.
- Which bottleneck research questions in green steelmaking are most in need of attention — and more.
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This is an important industry transformation and can reduce the cost of fabricating steel if renewable energy is used to make the Hydrogen. Solar, wind, geothermal etc.
Build a solar farm that makes Hydrogen in proximity to a steel plant. Makes sense!
Kontak has patented a safe, efficient, economical, green technology for storing hydrogen on ammonia and releasing it just prior to use. We license our technology to operating companies.
Since Hydrogen is complex/costly to transport over longer distances and one is already considering converting it to Ammonia for transport… why not consider converting it to Methane (CO2 capture, Sabatier Process)) the methane can also be transported within the LNG logistics and no new technologies are required.
Yes, all innovative ways are welcome to save our atmosphere & MOTHER EARTH ‼️🙏🌹
Hydrogen is the future. My money has been and is on Sun Hydrogen. With their technology we should have carbon free Hydrogen in quantities to satisfy all industries.
We have to reduce our steel usage first. Do more with less, which opens up better economics for ultimately achieving green steel.