Mapping Bio-CO2 and Wind Resources for Decarbonized Steel, E-Methanol and District Heat Production in the Bothnian Bay

Hydrogen is a versatile feedstock for various chemical and industrial processes, as well as an energy carrier. Dedicated hydrogen infrastructure is envisioned to conceptualize in hydrogen valleys, which link together the suppliers and consumers of hydrogen, heat, oxygen, and electricity. One potential hydrogen valley is the Bay of Bothnia, located in the northern part of the Baltic Sea between Finland and Sweden. The region is characterized as having excellent wind power potential, a strong forest cluster with numerous pulp and paper mills, and significant iron ore and steel production. The study investigates the hydrogen-related opportunities in the region, focusing on infrastructural requirements, flexibility, and co-operation of different sectors. The study found that local wind power capacity is rapidly increasing and will eventually enable the decarbonization of the steel sector in the area, along with moderate Power-to-X implementation. In such case, the heat obtained as a by-product from the electrolysis of hydrogen would greatly exceed the combined district heat demand of the major cities in the area. To completely fulfil its district heat demand, the city of Oulu was simulated to require 0.5–1.2 GW of electrolyser capacity, supported by heat pumps and optionally with heat storages.

The Impact of Financial Development on CO2 Emissions of Global Iron and Steel Industry

As carbon peaking and carbon neutrality have become a global consensus, more and more countries have introduced relevant policies to adapt to their own countries and formulated corresponding time roadmap. The industrial sector, especially the steel sector, which produces high levels of pollution and carbon emissions, is facing significant pressure to transform its operations to reduce CO2 emissions. Previous studies have shown the importance of financial development (FD) in environmental protection, however, the impact of FD on the CO2 emissions of the steel sector is ignored. This paper examines the impact of FD on the CO2 emissions of the iron and steel industry from a global perspective using comprehensive panel data from a total of 30 countries during the period from 1990 to 2018. Empirical results show that an improved level of FD in a given country reduces the CO2 emissions of the iron and steel industry. Our results also show that the effect of FD on reducing the CO2 emissions of the iron and steel industry in developing countries is less than its effect in developed countries. Estimation results also show the existence of the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis in the iron and steel industry. The mechanism analysis indicates that FD promotes the upgrading of the structure of the iron and steel industry and the reduction of the CO2 emissions by means of the three-stage least square method. Finally, we discuss the policy implications of achieving carbon neutrality in the steel sector.

CO2 Recycling in the Iron and Steel Industry via Power-to-Gas and Oxy-Fuel Combustion

The iron and steel industry is the largest energy-consuming sector in the world. It is responsible for emitting 4–5% of the total anthropogenic CO2. As an energy-intensive industry, it is essential that the iron and steel sector accomplishes important carbon emission reduction. Carbon capture is one of the most promising alternatives to achieve this aim. Moreover, if carbon utilization via power-to-gas is integrated with carbon capture, there could be a significant increase in the interest of this alternative in the iron and steel sector. This paper presents several simulations to integrate oxy-fuel processes and power-to-gas in a steel plant, and compares gas productions (coke oven gas, blast furnace gas, and blast oxygen furnace gas), energy requirements, and carbon reduction with a base case in order to obtain the technical feasibility of the proposals. Two different power-to-gas technology implementations were selected, together with the oxy blast furnace and the top gas recycling technologies. These integrations are based on three strategies: (i) converting the blast furnace (BF) process into an oxy-fuel process, (ii) recirculating blast furnace gas (BFG) back to the BF itself, and (iii) using a methanation process to generate CH4 and also introduce it to the BF. Applying these improvements to the steel industry, we achieved reductions in CO2 emissions of up to 8%, and reductions in coal fuel consumption of 12.8%. On the basis of the results, we are able to conclude that the energy required to achieve the above emission savings could be as low as 4.9 MJ/kg CO2 for the second implementation. These values highlight the importance of carrying out future research in the implementation of carbon capture and power-to-gas in the industrial sector.

Greenhouse gas emissions caused by global steel industry: the past, the present and the future

Measures aimed at the transition of the global iron and steel industry to carbon neutrality by 2050 or beyond are in the focus of scientific, business, and political circles of many countries. If this target is to be attained, it is important to understand how demand for ferrous metals will be evolving, and when and to what extent the sector can be modernized on the low carbon basis. The paper explores the possibility and conditions for the full-scale decarbonization of the global iron and steel sector, looks into current trends in the production of key products of steel industry and related greenhouse gas emissions; estimates the contributions of all the factors behind these trends in 1900‒2019. By analyzing the relations between the economic growth and ferrous metals consumption as “services‒materials stock‒materials flow‒environment” model, the paper shows that a mechanical extrapolation of the earlier trends to 2050 and beyond may result in erroneous conclusions about the sector’s development perspectives. The factors that will eventually ensure the decoupling, i.e. a dramatic weakening or a complete rupture of the connection between economic growth and steel demand. The paper provides an analysis of the iron and steel sector decarbonization perspectives and estimates the scale and intensity of the forthcoming technological change.

Gestão estratégica e organizacional: uma análise de processos estratégicos de uma empresa consolidada do setor siderúrgico / Strategic and organizational management: an analysis of strategic processes of a consolidated company in the steel sector

A gestão estratégica tem como objetivo levantar informações sobre a competitividade da empresa, ameaças, recursos disponíveis, oportunidades, entre outros direcionamentos importantes. Baseado nos dados obtidos é possível pensar em ações e tomar decisões seguindo seu plano estratégico. Dizemos que o processo de gestão estratégica engloba análise de decisões antes de colocá-las em prática, pois antes da alta administração tomar uma decisão é preciso verificar indicadores de desempenho e relatórios gerenciais. A partir desses conceitos, a pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar e diagnosticar a gestão estratégica de uma empresa consolidada do setor siderúrgico. Com base em artigos e documentos disponíveis mediantes a livros e websites foi possível caracterizar a empresa, discutir seu posicionamento em relação à concorrência, identificar objetivos estratégicos e indicadores de desempenho. Para isso foram utilizados dois sistemas de medição, as cinco forças de Potter e a análise SWOT, apresentando e pontuando métodos e ações da empresa tanto como causa e efeito para sua estrutura gerencial e processo estratégico.