Assessment of economic, energy and ecological efficiency of iron and steel production from orecoal briquettes in electric-furnace melting facility with application of hydrogen fuel

Abstract

According to the Russia National cadastre, emissions of carbon dioxide in the steel industry in 2019 in the sector “Industrial emissions” accounted for near 50% of the whole volume of its emissions in the whole country’s industry. A perspective way to decrease emissions of greenhouse gases is application of hydrogen in technological processes of metallurgical stuff production. A brief characteristic of basic technologies of hydrogen production presented. Concept of hydrogen technology development in steel industry of Russia stated, basic directions of metallurgical subindustries restructing related to implementation of the new fuel – “brown” hydrogen presented. Possibilities of “brown” hydrogen obtaining as a secondary energy resource of metallurgical production considered. Results of calculation of economic, energy and ecological effectiveness of cast iron, steel and “brown” hydrogen production in electric-furnace melting facilities of new type presented. It was shown that replacement of scheme “blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace”, including production of sinter and coke, by electric-furnace melting production with obtaining hot metal and steel from ore-coal briquettes and application of “brown” hydrogen and recycling of carbon dioxide enables to exclude greenhouse gases emissions. Capital investment into the hydrogen project of 1.0 million t/year capacity with restructing production capacities will account for 9.5 billion Rubles (120.0 million euro), economical effect – 5.4 billion Rubles (70.0 million euro), period of capital investments payback – 1.8 year.