A report by electrical equipment company ABB has identified three innovative solutions that can help the steel industry achieve its net-zero emissions goal.
Modern warehouses have implemented eco-friendly technologies such as solar roof panels, energy-saving lighting, and heat pumps. However, they still rely on steel-based equipment from their warehouse equipment supplier. Steel production, therefore, typically involves high carbon emissions.
Government regulators are pressuring steel producers to accelerate the decarbonization of steel, which globally contributes 7% to 9% of all carbon emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels. There needs to be a significant reduction in carbon emissions from steel manufacturing if the goal of limiting global temperatures to below 1.5 degrees centigrade is to be achieved.
According to the ABB report, carbon capture technology, hydrogen utilization and microchemistry are the three pathways to decarbonizing steel. Steel producers are addressing the issue in several ways. Sweden is currently developing techniques to produce steel using green hydrogen and electricity derived from fossil-free sources, while Brazil is utilizing charcoal sourced from FSC-certified forests as a substitute for coal in their steel production process. Tata Steel in India produces pig iron directly from raw ores rather than processed ones like coke, resulting in a 20% reduction of carbon emissions.
Frederick Esterhuizen, Global Business Line Manager for AAB, suggests that integrating various solutions instead of relying solely on one technology will be key towards phasing out fossil fuels within the industry and reducing overall carbon emissions. He urges the world steel supply chain to collaborate at every level to tackle steel decarbonization.
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