Abstract
The basic oxygen furnace (BOF) is the dominating primary steelmaking process. It is an autothermal process where hot metal and scrap are used as charging materials. The decarbonization and transformation of integrated BOF steelmaking will be the most important challenge in the coming years. Steel scrap is a charge material without new CO2 emissions, whose availability is expected to grow significantly and will play a key role in this decarbonization process. Several solutions have been developed by Primetals Technologies to provide additional energy for processing higher scrap rates in integrated BOF steelmaking. Such solutions include simple upgrade packages installed on existing converters such as process models for heat optimization, post-combustion, and scrap preheating lances. For higher scrap rates from 30% to 50%, a combination blowing converter and JET converter is required to provide sufficient mixing during scrap melting and the highest heat transfer from the increased post-combustion. Hybrid EAF–BOF operation and limitations regarding scrap quality also need to be considered for the transformation of steelmaking. Scrap sorting and processing can be a solution to reduce residual levels in crude steel for high scrap rates. Based on reference plant data, the CO2 reduction potential of the presented solution versus the effort and complexity of implementation is compared.
Highlights
The global steel industry is responsible for nearly 20% of global coal consumption, which is mainly used for the reduction in iron ore in the blast furnace (BF) process to generate hot metal
This coal-based reduction process in the BF and the following oxygen steelmaking process leads to specific CO2 emissions of approximately 2 tons per ton of steel
Up to a 9% scrap rate increase and similar reduction in BF–basic oxygen furnace (BOF) CO2 emissions can be achieved with heat optimization and advanced Level 2 (L2) process automation for BOF plants operating at very low scrap rates
Summary
The global steel industry is responsible for nearly 20% of global coal consumption, which is mainly used for the reduction in iron ore in the blast furnace (BF) process to generate hot metal. Metals 2022, 12, 466 reduction is already becoming close to zero, where only some small amount of scope 2 emissions for operating the plant will remain. The challenges and limitations of processing higher scrap rates will be discussed, which is followed by solutions for scrap processing, higher scrap rates in integrated BOF steel plants, and a hybrid EAF–BOF steelmaking operation as part of the transition toward net-zero carbon emissions. The CO2 reduction potential of the presented solutions is compared and set into relation to the complexity of implementation
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