Green Steel is Getting Greenlighted Around the World

The steel industry is heavily reliant on fossil fuels. Thus, it goes without saying that it is among the highest carbon emitting industries in the world. This year, however, has begun on a good note with respect to several initiatives aimed at the greening of the industry. Here are some defining moments in the greening of the steel industry, that could prove to be a game-changer moving into the future-

Fossil-Fuel Free Steel

Once upon a time, the thought of making steel without fossil fuels seemed like a far-fetched thought. Not anymore, a Sweden-based firm, SSAB, has delivered the first fossil fuel-free steel.This is part of a JV between Vattenfall and a Sweden-based mining firm, LKAB.

A green method has been developed for green steel by way of a hybrid process, powered by hydrogen. The steel was developed for the purpose of manufacturing trucks for the Volvo Group. The steel was made with a technology acronymed HYBRI, which stands for Hydrogen Breakthrough Ironmaking Technology. The process employs electricity from renewable sources, for the further creation of clean-burning gas. Thanks to this, hydrogen becomes an alternative to fossil fuels.

Towards Sustainable Hydrogen

Another firm, H2 Green Steel, which is also Sweden-based, has claimed that it will look after the full production of fossil fuel-free steel, which will come from a sustainable hydrogen facility by next year. H2 Green Steel says it boasts of one of the “world’s largest electrolysis plants as an integrated part of steel production facility in Boden.”

Notably, Swedish battery developer Northvolt has aided H2 Green Steel with funding for green steel.

Green Iron 

Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) has shared that it has achieved the first step towards the manufacture of green steel with the production of green iron.

“FFI achieved a significant breakthrough in the pursuit of green iron by successfully processing 150kg of iron ore to make metallic iron that could pave the way for the production of green iron at scale,” revealed the firm. It further claimed, “Our scientists used electrolysis (a fancy way of saying ‘zapping things with electricity’) to remove the oxygen from our iron ore, creating ‘metallic iron’ which can be used in the steelmaking process.” “Currently, that steelmaking process makes up about nine percent of our total global emissions, because it relies on coal.” “As long as the electricity for this process comes from renewable sources, the iron produced is fully green.”

Electric Arc Furnace

Whyalla, located in South Australia, has been known as a hub for steel manufacturing. In what could give a new shape to the steel town, the GFG (Gupta Family Group) Alliance in Whyalla South Australia, run by Sanjay Gupta, has made known its plans to buy a low-carbon-emissions electric arc furnace. The furnance will pave the way for weeding out coal from the steelmaking process.

“The furnace will initially be fed by domestic steel scrap and other Iron-bearing materials to deliver an expected 90% reduction in direct CO2 emissions compared with traditional blast furnace production. Danieli’s patented Q-One technology, the first of its kind, provides capability for a direct feed from renewable power sources which could help to eliminate indirect emissions from Whyalla’s new steelmaking facility,” said Gupta.

The furnace is slated for operations in another two years’ time. It will be a replacement for the current coke ovens and blast furnace.

Green Steel Intiatives in India 

India has also been voicing its concern about carbon emissions from steel industry. Thus, the country is placing a premium on utilisation of Green Hydrogen and Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage. The Ministry of Steel has been actively working towards green steel goals and decarbonization in the steel industry and eyeing the production of green steel.

In 2019, Steel Scrap Recycling Policy, was introduced to give a push to the availability of domestically generated scrap in order to curb the use of coal in making steel. The MNRE has announced the National Green Hydrogen Mission, in which, the steel sector is also a stakeholder.

Indian steel plants are also putting in practice Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) Model Projects aimed at energy efficiency improvement.

Last year, Kalyani Steels Ltd became the first green steel producer in India. This was achieved through 70% scrap that  melted over an electric arc, which is run on sources of renewable energy.

The DRI process (Direct-Reduced Iron) is also gathering momentum in India in green steel industry. The process has high percentage of metallization. Besides, the investment and operating costs required for it are lower when compared to integrated steel plants.