Options for the Swedish steel industry – Energy efficiency measures and fuel conversion

The processes of iron and steel making are energy intensive and consume large quantities of electricity and fossil fuels. In order to meet future climate targets and energy prices, the iron and steel industry has to improve its energy and resource efficiency. For the iron and steel industry to utilize its energy resources more efficiently and at the same time reduce its CO2 emissions a number of options are available. In this paper, opportunities for both integrated and scrap-based steel plants are presented and some of the options are electricity production, fuel conversion, methane reforming of coke oven gas and partnership in industrial symbiosis. The options are evaluated from a system perspective and more specific measures are reported for two Swedish case companies: SSAB Strip Products and Sandvik AB. The survey shows that both case companies have great potentials to reduce their CO2 emissions.

Research highlights
► Steel plants have several opportunities to utilize excess energy flows.
► Industrial symbiosis and TES can enhance the utilization of excess energy.
► Options to produce electricity from low-grade heat and heat radiation.
► Options to substitute fossil fuels with biomass.
► The case companies have great potentials to reduce their CO2 emissions.