FOCUS ON – METALS & MINING
STEELING THE FUTURE: USING
HYDROGEN TO MAKE GREEN STEEL IE Speaks To Primetals' Dr Alexander Fleischanderl About The Innovative HYFOR Green Steel Project In Austria.
I
n 2020, the global steel industry produced a total of 1.86 billion metric tonnes and turned over hundreds of billions of dollars. Steel, with its high strength-to-weight ratio and relatively low production costs, is an invaluable material for many sectors such as construction and automotive. However, in the context of the climate crisis, the sector has come under increased scrutiny due to its reliance on carbon-intensive fossil fuels, primarily coal. Global steel production accounts for around 8% of total global carbon emissions, and its hunger for coal continues to drive excavation. For every tonne of liquid steel produced using the traditional integrated process method, 6 Industry Europe
770kg of coal and coke is burned, releasing 1.8 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere – meaning the steel industry is actually a bigger producer of carbon dioxide than it is of steel. In recent years, governments across the world have been looking for ways to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, and as such, the political pressure on the sector to decarbonise is also mounting. But it’s not only governments putting the pressure on. Increasing financial pressures like the price of carbon and the rise in the popularity and credibility of Environmental, Social and Governance scores amongst a younger, more environmentally conscious
Dr. Alexander Fleischanderl
generation of investors looking to put their money where their morals are, both increase that pressure and offer ever-stronger incentives to decarbonise the sector. Against this backdrop, several small-scale “green steel” projects have begun popping up in Europe and beyond. One of these is Primetals Technologies’ hydrogen-based fine-ore reduction (HYFOR) pilot project, at the voestalpine steelworks in Donawitz, Austria.
