Modular and hybrid heating technologies in steel production (Clean Steel Partnership) (IA)

ExpectedOutcome:

Projects are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:

• Use a wide control range of heating capacity by modular heating technologies such local regenerators, and of hybrid heating, based on both fuel gases from the steel-making process and the incorporation of electricity from renewable sources;
• Integration of fuel cells, electrolysers or alternative carbon-based products for non-fossil coke, as well as increased use of non-fossil energy and reactants (e.g. green electricity for heat generation, biomass, green hydrogen) in downstream processes. .
• Integrate fuel cells of alternative coal-based products for non-fossil coke, as well as increased use of non-fossil energy and reactants (e.g. green electricity for heat generation, biomass, green hydrogen) in downstream processes.

Scope:

Steel plant gases are partly used internally as heating gases and partly used externally, in nearby power plants, to produce electricity at high cost and high CO₂ load.

These gases could be used in reduction processes (blast furnace or even direct reduction) to reduce fossil carbon use, provided they are well prepared for injection in these processes. This notably includes cleaning, compression, heating and removal of oxidised compounds such as CO₂ and H₂O, e.g. through scrubbing or reforming operations. To make a real difference on CO₂ emissions, all these preparation steps need to be performed using internal resources (by-products, heat) or external but low-C energy sources (e.g. electricity, using plasma torches).

The concepts to be developed under this topic are expected to address one or more of the following areas:

• Development of a flexible, modular technology that can easily be scaled up for the stepwise integration of heating technologies in Blast furnaces, Electric Arc Furnaces and Direct Reduction Processes;
• Technologies that target the integration of new materials and gases workflows in existing steelworks, combining exhaust gases from the reduction processes and heat generated in downstream processes to reduce the external requirements of energy.

Proposals submitted under this topic should include a business case and exploitation strategy, as outlined in the introduction to this Destination.

This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on Clean Steel.

In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement

Specific Topic Conditions:

Activities are expected to start at TRL 5 and achieve TRL 7 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.

Cross-cutting Priorities:

Artificial IntelligenceCo-programmed European PartnershipsDigital Agenda