Session: 09-06-01: Decarbonization with Hybrid Energy Systems

Paper Number: 166667

Evaluating Emission Reduction in EAF Steelmaking: The Role of Renewable Energy and Circular Economy Solutions 

Steel production is an essential component of modern infrastructure and industrialization. However, it accounts for a significant percentage of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions driven by energy intensive processes reliance on fossil fuels. In this context, optimizing energy structure is important for coping with the increasing environmental problems in iron and steel industry. Electric arc furnace (EAF) also known as mini mill is the secondary steelmaking process which required lesser energy for steel production process compared to the blast furnace route. In this paper, the EAF steelmaking processes driven by renewable energy sources was developed, which supplies heat and electricity for the whole process, and reduce reliance on conventional energy system. This study aims to facilitate the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a tool for promoting sustainable development and optimising resource management by assessing and comparing the environmental impacts of the electric arc furnace steelmaking process integrated with traditional energy system (EAF-TES) and EAF integrated with renewable energy sources (EAF-RES). In this study, the hybridization of alternative energy sources was explored through various scenarios. This study examined three scenarios, namely scenario A (baseline i.e. EAF-TES), scenario B (EAF-TES-renewable integration), and scenario C (EAF-all). Scenario A is the baseline scenario where EAF is integrated with the traditional energy system, scenario B combined both traditional and renewable energy with the EAF, and scenario C completely replaced fossil fuel and grid electricity with the renewable energy sources. The study follows a cradle-to-gate LCA approach, encompassing scrap collection and sorting, transportation, melting, continuous casting, billet reheating, and reinforcing bar rolling. Inventory data is sourced primarily from the manufacturing facility, supplemented with secondary data from GaBi database. Analyses results indicated that the cradle to gate CO₂ emissions of the base case scenario is approximately 681 kgCO₂ eq./t of steel bar produced. An EAF-All scenario demonstrates significant cradle to gate emissions reduction when Wind alone, Wind and Biogas, Solar and Biogas, Biogas alone, and Solar alone were considered by 491 kgCO₂ eq./t, 476 kgCO₂ eq./t, 433 kgCO₂ eq./t, 424 kgCO₂ eq./t, 417 kgCO₂ eq./t, representing a 72%, 70%, 64%, 62%, and 61% in overall emissions compared to the base case scenario. Furthermore, the combination of EAF-TES with renewable sources reduced cradle to gate CO2 emissions by 180 kgCO₂ eq./t and 271 kgCO₂ eq./t respectively, which equivalent to a 26% and 39% of a decline in overall GHG emissions of the base case scenario. Based on these insights, this research is expected to supply a technical and economic feasibility for energy conservation, emission reduction, and production of alternative fuel in future of iron and steel industry.

 

Keywords: Steel production, Greenhouse gas emissions, Electric Arc Furnace (EAF), Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Circular economy, Renewable energy.

 

Presenting Author: Kabir Akinyemi Birmingham City University

Presenting Author Biography: Kabir Ajibola Akinyemi is a PhD researcher at Birmingham City University with a background in Chemical Engineering and a master's degree in Energy and Environmental Management. He has worked on projects such as Activated Carbon for Industrial Effluent Remediation and Techno-Economic Assessment of a Solar Energy System. His current research focuses on sustainability and carbon emission reduction in the steel industry

Authors:

Kabir A. Akinyemi Birmingham City University
Olusegun M. Ilori Birmingham City University
Noel Perera Birmingham City University
Lynsey Melville Birmingham City University
Jamiu A. Dauda Leeds Beckett University