Energy Efficiency stories | 2022-04-04
Together, the iron and steel making is responsible for about 7% of total global CO2 emissions, while the steel industry still uses coal to meet 75% of its energy needs. Despite this, there are good opportunities to improve energy efficiency and to replace fossil fuels throughout the production process.
Iron and steel are essential to our everyday lives. They are used in the construction of the cities we live in, the vehicles that move us and the goods we use. However, most iron and steel production still relies on traditional fossil-fuel based technologies. To enable a more sustainable future and meet global climate and energy goals, it’s estimated that the iron and steel industry will need to cut its emissions by 50% by 2050. This means that the production processes need to be both decarbonized and made more efficient.
Some technologies are already in use and under development which will help the industry achieve these goals. For example, to decarbonize production, electric arc furnaces can be used in place of basic oxygen furnaces, while hydrogen can be used as a reducing agent instead of carbon and coke.
Another factor to consider is that iron and steel plants often use inefficient motors systems and it’s been estimated that up to 70% of the energy consumed by the motors in a steel plant is lost and wasted due to system inefficiencies. As a result, modernizing motor systems that run applications like fans, compressors and pumps can lead to measurable energy savings throughout the production process.
Read the white paper to find out more about decarbonization and energy efficiency improvements in the iron and steel industry.
