scholarly journals An Economic Model to Assess Profitable Scenarios of EAF-Based Steelmaking Plants under Uncertain Conditions

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (21) ◽  
pp. 7395
Author(s):  
Francesco Facchini ◽  
Giorgio Mossa ◽  
Giovanni Mummolo ◽  
Micaela Vitti
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Direct Reduction ◽  
Steel Production ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Basic Oxygen Furnace ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Steel Scrap ◽  
Environmental Costs ◽  
Market Uncertainty ◽  
Economic Point

The steelmaking processes are considered extremely energy-intensive and carbon-dependent processes. In 2018, it was estimated that the emissions from global steel production represented 7–9% of direct emissions generated by fossil fuels. It was estimated that a specific emissions value of 1.8 tCO2 per ton of steel was produced due to the carbon-dependent nature of the traditional blast furnace and basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) route. Therefore, it is necessary to find an alternative solution to the BF-BOF route for steel production to counteract this negative trend, resulting in being sustainable from an environmental and economic point of view. To this concern, the objective of this work consists of developing a total cost function to assess the economic convenience of steelmaking processes considering the variability of specific market conditions (i.e., iron ore price, scraps price, energy cost, etc.). To this purpose, a direct reduction (DR) process fueled with natural gas (NG) to feed an electric arc furnace (EAF) using recycled steel scrap was considered. The approach introduced is totally new; it enables practitioners, managers, and experts to conduct a preliminary economic assessment of innovative steelmaking solutions under market uncertainty. A numerical simulation has been conducted to evaluate the profitability of the investment considering the economic and environmental costs. It emerged that the investment is profitable in any case from an economic perspective. On the contrary, considering the environmental costs, the profitability of the investment is not guaranteed under certain circumstances.

scholarly journals Energy Intensity of Steel Manufactured Utilising EAF Technology as a Function of Investments Made: The Case of the Steel Industry in Poland

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (16) ◽  
pp. 5152
Author(s):  
Bożena Gajdzik ◽  
Włodzimierz Sroka ◽  
Jolita Vveinhardt
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Steel Industry ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Intensity ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Steel Production ◽  
Basic Oxygen Furnace ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Steel Scrap

The production of steel in the world is dominated by two types of technologies: BF + BOF (the blast furnace and basic oxygen furnace, also known as integrated steel plants) and EAF (the electric arc furnace). The BF + BOF process uses a lot of natural resources (iron ore is a feedstock for steel production) and fossil fuels. As a result, these steel mills have a significantly negative impact on the environment. In turn, EAF technology is characterised by very low direct emissions and very high indirect emissions. The raw material for steel production is steel scrap, the processing of which is highly energy-consuming. This paper analyses the energy intensity of steel production in Poland as a function of investments made in the steel industry in the years 2000–2019. Statistical data on steel production in the EAF process in Poland (which represents an approximately 50% share of the steel produced, as the rest is produced utilising the BF + BOF process) was used. Slight fluctuations are caused by the periodic switching of technology for economic or technical reasons. The hypothesis stating that there is a relationship between the volume of steel production utilising the EAF process and the energy consumption of the process, which is influenced by investments, was formulated. Econometric modelling was used as the research method and three models were constructed: (1) a two-factor power model; (2) a linear two-factor model; and (3) a linear one-factor model. Our findings show that the correlation is negative, that is, along with the increase in technological investments in electric steel plants in Poland, a decrease in the energy consumption of steel produced in electric furnaces was noted during the analysed period.

scholarly journals Production of Bio-ethanol from Solid Waste Paper Using Biological Activation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeynu Shamil Awol ◽  
Rezika Tofike Abate
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Biomass Energy ◽  
Dilute Acid ◽  
Dilute Acid Hydrolysis ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
Solid Ratio ◽  
Alternative Energy Sources ◽  
Waste Office Paper

Abstract Biomass energy is renewable energy source that comes from the material of plants and animals. Forms of biomass energy are bio-ethanol, bio methanol, and biodiesel. Bio-ethanol is one of the most important alternative energy sources that substitute the fossil fuels. The focus of this research is to produce bio-ethanol from waste office paper. Five laboratory experiments were conducted to produce bio-ethanol from wastepaper. The wastepaper was dried in oven and cut in to pieces. Then it passed through dilute acid hydrolysis, fermentation and distillation process respectively. High amount of ethanol was observed at 20 ml/g (liquid to solid ratio) and at the time of 2hr. Cost and economic analysis for ethanol production from wastepaper was performed. Results from the analysis indicated a paper to ethanol plant was feasible from the economic point of view with rate of return (RR) 38.61% and the payback period of 2.2 years.

Emission Distribution and Regulation of Local Heat Source

2012 ◽  
Vol 326-328 ◽  
pp. 330-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Valíček ◽  
Jana Müllerová ◽  
Vlastimil Kuběna ◽  
Pavel Koštial ◽  
Marta Harničárová ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Local Heating ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Total Production ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
Automated Method ◽  
Wide Range

Pollutants can be classified according to their chemical composition, harmfulness, hazardousness, risk rate and toxicity. The most monitored pollutants are particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), organic substances which are in the form of gaseous phase in waste gases expressed as total organic carbon, dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans [1-3]. Other pollutants are divided into several groups and subgroups, such as substances with carcinogenic effects (asbestos, Co, Cd, Be, Ni, As, Cr, dioxins, etc.), solid inorganic contaminants (He, Se, animony, and others) and inorganic pollutants in the form of gases (HCl, HF, ammonia, etc.), organic gases and vapours (phenol, toluene, acetone and many others) and gases causing the greenhouse effect (CO2, methane, N2O, hydrofluorocarbons, etc.). The term particulate matter, or suspended matter refers to the emissions of a wide range of wind drift solids and liquid particles of material in size from several nanometres up to 0.5 mm, which stay in the air for some time. This is a major component of atmospheric pollution, which contributes to harmful effects not only on human health but also on intensity of materials degradation. Into the atmosphere, where we can meet them, regardless of particle size and chemical composition, in the form of a complex heterogeneous mixture, they are released from burning fossil fuels and also from burning biomass-based fuels, while domestic heating accounts for about 16% of the total production of particulate matter [4,5,6]. This percentage represents a degree of imperfect combustion of fuels used in local heating. Emissions from incomplete combustion are undesirable from the point of view of human health as well as from the economic point of view, because this leads to the degradation of materials. Nevertheless, since fuel combustion is necessary for the society, emissions are still produced. This paper presents an automated method of perfect combustion control in local heating in order to minimize emissions being produced.

scholarly journals Production of Negative-Emissions Steel Using a Reducing Gas Derived from DFB Gasification

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (16) ◽  
pp. 4835
Author(s):  
Sébastien Pissot ◽  
Henrik Thunman ◽  
Peter Samuelsson ◽  
Martin Seemann
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Cost Estimation ◽  
Direct Reduction ◽  
Steel Production ◽  
Carbon Price ◽  
Basic Oxygen Furnace ◽  
Energetic Efficiency ◽  
Reducing Gas ◽  
Negative Emissions ◽  
The Cost

A dual fluidized bed (DFB) gasification process is proposed to produce sustainable reducing gas for the direct reduction (DR) of iron ore. This novel steelmaking route is compared with the established process for DR, which is based on natural gas, and with the emerging DR technology using electrolysis-generated hydrogen as the reducing gas. The DFB-DR route is found to produce reducing gas that meets the requirement of the DR reactor, based on existing MIDREX plants, and which is produced with an energetic efficiency comparable with the natural gas route. The DFB-DR path is the only route considered that allows negative CO2 emissions, enabling a 145% decrease in emissions relative to the traditional blast furnace–basic oxygen furnace (BF–BOF) route. A reducing gas cost between 45–60 EUR/MWh is obtained, which makes it competitive with the hydrogen route, but not the natural gas route. The cost estimation for liquid steel production shows that, in Sweden, the DFB-DR route cannot compete with the natural gas and BF–BOF routes without a cost associated with carbon emissions and a revenue attributed to negative emissions. When the cost and revenue are set as equal, the DFB-DR route becomes the most competitive for a carbon price >60 EUR/tCO2.

scholarly journals An Economic Assessment of the Contributions of 5G into the Railways and Energy Sectors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Nunes Corujo ◽  
José Quevedo ◽  
Rui Aguiar ◽  
Paulo Paixão ◽  
Hugo Martins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Analysis ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Use Cases ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
Railroad Transportation ◽  
5G Technologies

Abstract This paper presents an economical assessment of the benefits of introducing 5G technologies into pilot use cases pertaining to the railroad transportation and energy sectors. For each of the pilots, undergone by EFACEC Engenharia e Sistemas and EFACEC Energia, respectively, under the scope of the H2020 5Growth project, evaluates the expenditure and benefits expected from introducing 5G capabilities over their on-going operations. This evaluation is expressed regarding the Portugal case, and are also scaled to assess the European-wide case. The main objective of the study summarized in this paper is to understand if solutions proposed by the H2020 5Growth project, and 5G as a whole, are also advantageous from an economic point of view. The results of the techno-economic analysis reported in this paper show, on a European scale, millions of euros saved by the different stakeholders involved in the deployment of 5G solutions.

scholarly journals Nutrient Budget and Economic Assessment of Blended Fertilizer Use in Kenya Tea Industry

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Kibet Sitienei ◽  
Hellen W. Kamiri ◽  
Gilbert M. Nduru ◽  
David M. Kamau
Keyword(s):  
Block Design ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Nutrient Budget ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
Npk Fertilizers ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
Tea Industry ◽  
Economic Trends

Kenya’s tea industry depends predominantly on imported compound NPK fertilizers to replenish nutrients removed through plucking. These fertilizers cannot be easily manipulated for specific soils and tea clones. They also frequently become hazardous within tea-growing environments. In this respect, two fertilizer blends containing NPKS 25 : 5 : 5 : 4 + 9Ca + 2.62Mg and NPKS 23 : 5 : 5 : 4 + 10Ca + 3Mg with trace elements have been produced commercially in the country. However, the extent to which the blended fertilizers may contribute to optimal economic gains without degrading the environment has not been determined. This was the knowledge gap that this study seeks to address. The goal of this study was to evaluate the economic efficacy of fertilizer blends with the aim of identifying optimal levels of application which would maximize tea productivity with minimal negative impacts on the environment. The study hypothesized that blended fertilizers maximize productivity of tea clones with minimal environmental damage. The fertilizer blends were evaluated in two study sites, i.e., Timbilil Estate in Kericho and Kagochi farm in Nyeri. The sites were selected purposefully, one in the eastern and the other in the western tea-growing areas. The trial was laid out in randomized complete block design with two fertilizer blends and the standard NPK 26 : 5 : 5 as control. The treatments were applied at four fertilizer rates (0 (control), 75, 150, and 225 kg·N·ha−1·yr−1), replicated thrice. Leaf samples were collected and analyzed for nutrient uptake as well as associated yields and economic trends. The economic optimum nitrogen rate (EONR) was achieved at 75 kg·N·ha−1·yr−1 at Kagochi with all fertilizers, while at Timbilil, EONR was variable, between 75 and 225 kg·N·ha−1·yr−1 with fertilizer types. This study has shown that, based on the economic point of view, Blend “A” was the most efficient and consistent fertilizer in production and economic returns across the two sites.

scholarly journals Driving investments in ore beneficiation and scrap upgrading to meet an increased demand from the direct reduction-EAF route

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rutger Gyllenram ◽  
Niloofar Arzpeyma ◽  
Wenjing Wei ◽  
Pär G. Jönsson
Keyword(s):  
Iron Ore ◽  
Direct Reduction ◽  
Steel Production ◽  
Silica Content ◽  
Basic Oxygen Furnace ◽  
Ore Pellets ◽  
Percentage Points ◽  
Major Transition ◽  
Conservative Estimation ◽  
The Cost

AbstractThe pressure on the steel industry to reduce its carbon footprint has led to discussions to replace coke as the main reductant for iron ore and turn to natural gas, bio-syngas or hydrogen. Such a major transition from the blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace route, to the direct reduction-electric arc furnace route, for steel production would drastically increase the demand for both suitable iron ore pellets and high-quality scrap. The value for an EAF plant to reduce the SiO2 content in DRI by 2 percentage points and the dirt content of scrap by 0.3 percentage points Si was estimated by using the optimization and calculation tool RAWMATMIX®. Three plant types were studied: (i) an integrated plant using internal scrap, (ii) a plant using equal amounts of scrap and DRI and (iii) a plant using a smaller fraction of DRI in relation to the scrap amount. Also, the slag volume for each plant type was studied. Finally, the cost for upgrading was estimated based on using mainly heuristic values. A conservative estimation of the benefit of decreasing the silica content in DRI from 4 to 2% is 20 USD/t DRI or 15 USD/t DR pellets and a conservative figure for the benefit of decreasing the dirt in scrap by 0.3 percentage points Si is 9 USD/t scrap. An estimate on the costs for the necessary ore beneficiation is 2.5 USD/t pellet concentrate and for a scrap upgrade, it is 1-2 USD/t scrap.

Economic assessment of producing and selling biomethane into a regional market

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mattia De Rosa
Keyword(s):  
Anaerobic Digestion ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Energy Resource ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Organic Substrates ◽  
Present Value ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
Fuel Prices

Biogas is a promising renewable energy resource produced by using anaerobic digestion of organic substrates and it is mainly used to generate electricity by means of biogas engines. Other potential utilisations are growing, e.g. grid injection and biofuels production but, generally, a treatment aimed to increase its quality is mandatory and greater investments are generally required to produce upgraded biogas (biomethane). Despite the increasing of interest on these applications, a lack of information is still present from an economic point of view. The present paper performs an extended economic assessment of upgrading and selling biogas starting from a typical farm-based anaerobic digestion plant in Northern Ireland assumed as reference. Several economic indexes have been considered to assess the economic performance of the upgraded anaerobic digestion plant, namely net present value, pay-back period, profitability index and internal rate of return. Moreover, different scenarios in terms of fossil fuel prices have been analysed. The results show that producing and selling biomethane can be economically feasible if an adequate market is fostered. Optimum anaerobic digestion sizes between 26.9 and 64.4 tonne/y have been found, with correspondent net present value and pay-back period values in the range of £6.7–64.4M and 2.8–7.5 years, respectively, depending on the price scenarios analysed and the economic index chosen. Generally, adopting the net present value as objective function of the optimisation leads to greater anaerobic digestion size than the other indexes for any price scenarios considered. Finally, tougher market conditions (i.e. higher fossil fuel prices) lead to better economic performances of the upgraded anaerobic digestion configuration.

Energy, Environment, and Economical Advantages of Solar Thermal Cracking of Natural Gas

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nesrin Ozalp
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Carbon Black ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
World Market ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Solar Thermal ◽  
Gas Combustion ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
Energy Environment

Among all fossil fuels, natural gas is probably the most attractive one because of its higher heating value, and approximately 97% methane content, which creates less hazardous emissions during power generation. Considering these important facts and the demand for natural gas in the world market, it would be unlikely to think of converting natural gas. However, if we want to utilize our planet’s limited natural gas resources better, then we need to explore alternative ways. A way to achieve that goal is direct cracking of natural gas via solar thermal processing. This paper describes advantages of solar cracking of natural gas from energy, environment and economic point of view. Results show that products of natural gas decomposition contain 8% more energy per mole compared to natural gas itself, while the decomposition process does not emit any hazardous emissions to the environment. As for the economics, once the decomposition products of natural gas, namely hydrogen and carbon black, are sold separately, it is possible to make up to three times more revenue than the selling of natural gas. The products of natural gas decomposition have a very wide use in chemical and petroleum industries. For example, hydrogen is a crucial commodity to refine crude oil, while carbon black is the fundamental component in car tire, battery, conveyer belt, and printer ink manufacturing industries. Currently, petroleum industry produces hydrogen via steam reforming of methane and the chemical industry produces carbon black from coal or natural gas combustion in furnace, which are both highly toxic and global warming emissive processes. With solar cracking of natural gas, these two important commodities can be produced without any emissions to the environment.

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