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Iron and Steel
Iron and Steel
Iron and steel are key products for the global economy. Since 2000, global steel
production has grown by 75%, reaching 1.49 billion tons of steel in 2011 1. The sector is
the largest industrial emitter of CO2 (with direct emissions of 2.16 Gt in 2006) and
second largest industrial user of energy (consuming 24 EJ in 2006). Although
considerable improvements have been made in recent years, the iron and steel sector
still has the technical potential to further reduce energy consumption and CO 2 emissions
by approximately 20%, saving 4.7 EJ of energy and 350 Mt of CO 2.2

Technology & Resources

Benchmarks

Key Data

Organizations

Programs

EnMS
Steel production involves numerous process steps that can be laid out in various
combinations depending on product mix, available raw materials, energy supply and
investment capital. Key characteristics of the three main processing routes are as
following:

1.

In Blast Furnace (BF)/Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) route, pig iron is produced
using primarily iron ore (70% to 100%) and coke in a blast furnace, and then turned into
steel in a basic oxygen furnace. Due to the inclusion of coke making and sintering
operations, this route is highly energy intensive.

2.

Scrap/Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) route is primarily based on scrap for the iron
input and has significantly lower energy intensity compared to the BF/BOF route due to
the omission of coke making and iron making processes;

3.

Direct Reduced Iron (DRI)/EAF route, based on iron ore and often scrap for the
iron input. Energy intensity of DRI production can be lower than BF route, depending on
the size, and fuel and ore characteristics.
In recent years, there is also increasing attention being paid to smelting reduction, which
is emerging as a contender to blast furnace process.

Iron and SteelSchematic

Iron and SteelProcesses

Coke Making

Sinter Plant

Blast Furnace System

Basic Oxygen Furnace

Casting

Rolling Mills

Electric Arc Furnace

Direct Reduced Iron

Cross Cutting Technology

Smelting Reduction

Carbon Capture and Storage

Cast Iron Production

Cross-Sectoral Systems
Motor Systems

Selected Iron and Steel Technologies & Measures


For a wider list of technologies & measures, please follow the links under processes above.

Coke Dry Quenching

Coal Moisture Control

Non-Recovery Coke Ovens

Pulverized Coal Injection

Natural Gas Injection

Top Pressure Recovery Turbines

Increased Blast Furnace Top Pressure (> 0.5 Bar Gauge)

Improved Recovery of Blast Furnace Gas

Blast Furnace Process Control

Plastic Waste Injection

Heat Recuperation from Hot Blast Stoves

BOF Bottom Stirring

BOF Heat and Gas Recovery

Emissions Optimized Sintering

Waste Heat Recovery in Sinter Plant

Additional Use of Coke Oven Gas

Hot DRI/HBI Charging to EAF

Post Combustion of EAF Flue Gas

Direct Current (DC) Arc Furnace

Optimal Charge Calculation in EAF

Foamy Slag Practices

Scrap Preheating

Coke Stabilization Quenching

Improved Ladle Preheating

Thin Slab Casting - Near Net Shape Casting

Variable Frequency Drives on Ventilation Fans

Software Tools to Boost Steam System Efficiency

Direct Rolling (Integrated Casting and Rolling)

Endless Strip Production (ESP)

Strip Casting Castrip Process

Variable Speed Drives on Flue Gas Control, Pumps and Fans

Hisarna

Products

Steel

Iron

Iron and Steel Publications

Energy Efficiency Improvement and Cost Saving Opportunities for the


U.S. Iron and Steel Industry
Date:
Oct
2010
Source:
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Format:
PDF
Type:
Publications

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) energy guide, Energy Efficiency
Improvement and Cost Saving Opportunities for the U.S. Iron and Steel Industry,
discusses energy efficiency practices and technologies that can be implemented in iron
and steel manufacturing plants. This guide provides current real world examples of iron
and steel plants saving energy and reducing cost and carbon dioxide emissions.
http://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/industry/Iron_Steel_Guide.pdf?25eb-abc5

Available and Emerging Technologies for Reducing Greenhouse Gas


Emissions from the Iron and Steel Industry
Date:
Oct
2010
Source:
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Format:
PDF
Type:
Publications
http://www.epa.gov/nsr/ghgdocs/ironsteel.pdf

The Stateof-the-Art Clean Technologies (SOACT) for Steelmaking


Handbook
Date:
Dec
2010
Source:
Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate
Format:

PDF
Type:
Publications

The Stateof-the-Art Clean Technologies (SOACT) for Steelmaking Handbook is


developed as part of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate
program and seeks to catalog the best available technologies and practices to save
energy and reduce environmental impacts in the steel industry. Its purpose is to share
information about commercialized or emerging technologies and practices that are
currently available to increase energy efficiency and environmental performance.
http://asiapacificpartnership.org/pdf/Projects/Steel/SOACT-Handbook-2nd-Edition....

Prospective Scenarios on Energy Efficiency and CO2 Emissions in the


EU Iron & Steel Industry
Date:
2012
Format:
PDF
Type:
Publications
The study analyzes the role of technology innovation and its diffusion in the
environmental and energy efficiency performance of the Iron and Steel sector from the
point of view of the cost-effectiveness of the retrofits of the main process at the plant
level and, in particular, for the EU-27 Iron & Steel industry in the medium-to-long term.
The report includes a wealth of information on technology options applicable to the iron
and steel industry, along with their energy and CO 2 performance and cost implications.
http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/111111111/26669/1/ldna...

Assessment Of Cumulative Cost Impact For The Steel Industry


Date:
Jun
2013
Source:
European Commission Directorate General (DG) Enterprises and Industry
Format:
PDF
Type:
Publications
This study contains an assessment of the cumulative costs of EU legislation on the
European steel industry, as well as an evaluation of how these costs affect the
competitiveness of this industry from an international standpoint. Cumulative costs are
compared to production costs and current margins of the European steel industry, as
well as to the production costs of international steel competitors. The study is
commissioned by The European Commission's Directorate-General for Enterprise and
Industry and prepared by the Center for European Policy Studies.
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/metals-minerals/files/steel-cum-cost-imp_...

Iron and Steel Reference Documents

Best Available Technique (BAT) Reference Document for Iron and


Steel Production
Date:
Mar
2013
Source:

Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive


Format:
PDF
Type:
Reference Documents
Published by the Joint Research Center of Institute for Prospective Technological
Studies (IPTS), that is part of European Commision, this reference document provides
detailed information on the Best Available Technologies (BAT) applicable to the iron and
steel manufacturing.
http://eippcb.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reference/BREF/IS_Adopted_03_2012.pdf

Iron and Steel Case Studies

OneSteel - EnMS Case Study


Source:
Australia's Energy Efficiency Opportunities program
Format:
PDF
Type:
Case Studies
This case study examines how OneSteel is embedding energy efficiency into its core
business processes. It describes OneSteel's approach to energy efficiency and the new
systems and tools that were developed for the Sydney Steel Mills group and are now
being rolled out across OneSteel. As a result, Onesteel are expected to achieve an
annual energy saving of over 6% of total energy use through adopted savings
opportunities identified by its assessments for the EEO program.

http://www.ret.gov.au/energy/Documents/energyefficiencyopps/PDF/OneSteel%20Case
%...

Introduction and Implementation of an Energy Management System


and Energy Systems Optimization - Arcelormittal Saldanha Works
Format:
PDF
Type:
Case Studies
This case study provides a detailed accounts of introducing and implementing an
Energy Management System and Energy System Optimization in Arcelormittal's
Saldanha works located in South Africa.
http://www.iee.csir.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/AM-Suldanah-Works-case-stud...

Iron and Steel Presentations

Energy Management Systems in Iron and Steel Industry


Date:
Nov
2012
Source:
World Steel Association
Format:
PDF
Type:
Presentations

This presentation is presented by Ladislav Horvath of World Stell Association during the
China EnMS workshop organized by IIP, and gives a thorough overview of main energy
issues in Iron and Steel plants and how these can be effectively addressed by
Environmental Management Systems.
http://ietd.iipnetwork.org/sites/ietp/files/WSA_EnMS.pdf
Due to the high diversity of production processes in the sector, benchmarks based on
per ton of product are of limited use. At minimum, there is a need to treat dominating
BF/BOF, scrap/EAF, and DRI/EAF routes separately. Even then, there are significant
variations in the energy efficiency levels of primary steel production between countries
and between plants, due to differences in scale, extent of waste heat recovery, quality of
iron ore and fuels, operatinal know-how, automation, and quality control.
The scrap based steel production does not require the ore preparation, coke making
and iron making stages necessary for producing iron from the ore in BF/BOF route and
is therefore significantly less energy intensive requiring between 4 to 6 GJ/t as
compared to 13 to 14 GJ/t in BF/BOF route. Scrap based production, on the other hand,
is limited by the availability of scrap metal.

Iron and SteelBenchmarks


The following table provides best practice energy consumption data for different
commonly used process routes for iron and steel production. It should be noted that
totals for different process routes highly depend on feedstock and material flows and
can show significant variations between different plants. Therefore, comparing
individual plants to the totals listed here may be misleading.

World Best Practice Final and Primary Energy Intensity Values for Iron and
Steel (Values in GJ/metric ton of steel)1
Production
step

Material
preperation

Iron making

Process

Sintering

Blast
furnacebasic
oxygen
furnace

Smelt
reduction basic
oxygen
furnace

Fina Primar Fina Primar


l
y2
l
y2

Fina Primar
l
y2

1.9

1.9

2.2

0.6

0.8

2.2

Pelletizing

0.6

Coking

0.8

Blast
furnace

12.2 12.4

0.8

17.3 17.9

Direct
reduced
iron

11.7 9.2

-0.4

-0.3

-0.4

-0.3

Electric arc
furnace
Refining
Casting &
rolling

Fina Primar
l
y2

1.1

Smelt
reduction

Steelmaking Basic
oxygen
furnace

Direct
Scrapreduced iron electric arc
- electric arc furnace
furnace

0.1

0.4

0.1

0.4

Continuous 0.1
casting

0.1

0.1

0.1

2.5

5.9

2.4

5.5

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

World Best Practice Final and Primary Energy Intensity Values for Iron and
Steel (Values in GJ/metric ton of steel)1
Production
step

Process

Direct
Scrapreduced iron electric arc
- electric arc furnace
furnace
Fina Primar
l
y2

Fina Primar
l
y2

1.8

2.4

1.8

2.4

1.8

2.4

1.8

2.4

16.
5

18.2

19.
5

21.2

18.
6

20.6

4.3

8.0

Cold rolling 0.4

0.9

0.4

0.9

Finishing

1.1

1.4

1.1

1.4

18.
0

20.6

21.
0

23.6

18.
6

20.6

4.3

8.0

0.2

0.5

0.2

0.5

0.2

0.5

0.2

0.5

14.
8

16.3

17.
8

19.2

16.
9

18.6

2.6

6.0

Sub-total

Total

Alternativ
e:
Casting &
rolling
Alternative total:

Footnotes
Benchmark Footnotes:
[1]

Smelt
reduction basic
oxygen
furnace

Fina Primar Fina Primar


l
y2
l
y2
Hot rolling3

Cold rolling
& finishing

Blast
furnacebasic
oxygen
furnace

Worrell, E., Price, L., Neelis, M., Galitsky, C., Nan, Z. (2008). World Best Practice
Energy Intensity Values for Selected Industrial Sectors. Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory.
[2]
For primary energy consumption, losses in converting fuels to electricity and in
transmission are taken into consideration. These are assumed to be 67%.
[3]
Values are based on energy use for production of hot rolled bars.
According to World Steel Association data, global steel production has increased by
about 75% since 2000 and reached 1.49 billon tons of crude steel in 2011. In the same
period, iron produced in blast furnaces and using direct reduction processes increased
by 88% and 45%, reaching 1 080 and 64 million tons, respectively. Although there has
been significant increase in scrap use in steel-making, in 2011 a higher share of steel
was produced from iron derived from ore, than in 2000 (BF+DRI/steel ratios in 2000 and
2011 are 0.73 and 0.76, respectively).
The six largest producers (China, Japan, the United States, India, Russia and South
Korea) accounted for 73% of total world steel production in 2011.
The iron and steel sector is the second-largest industrial user of energy, consuming 24
EJ in 2006, and the largest industrial source of CO2 emissions.
There are many proven technologies and practices that can significantly reduce the
energy demand and CO2 generation in this sector. Some of the major technologies and
their estimated potential for different regions are presented in the figure below.

General Industry Characteristics

Top Six Steel Producers and their Share in Global Production


See Source Data
2011 [1]

Name

Mt

China

683.3

Japan

107.6

United States

86.2

India

72.2

Russia

68.7

South Korea

68.5

Rest of the World

403.5

TOTAL

1490

Back to Chart
2011 [1]

Footnotes
[1] World Steel Association:http://www.worldsteel.org/statistics/statistics-archive/2011steel-production.ht...
There are numerous organizations working at global, regional, national levels to improve
the resource productivity and reduce the environmental impact of iron and steel
manufactuing. Some of the major ones are listed below:

Iron and Steel Organizations Global

Iron and Steel Organizations Asia-Pacific

Iron and Steel Organizations Australia

Iron and Steel Organizations Brazil

Iron and Steel Organizations China

Iron and Steel Organizations Europe

Iron and Steel Organizations European Union

Iron and Steel Organizations India

Iron and Steel Organizations Japan

Iron and Steel Organizations United States

Iron and Steel Programs Australia

Iron and Steel Programs China

Iron and Steel Programs European Union

Iron and Steel Programs India

Iron and Steel Programs Japan

Iron and Steel Programs United States

Industrial energy efficiency can be greatly enhanced by effective management of the


energy use of operations and processes. Experience shows that companies and sites
with stronger energy management programs gain greater improvements in energy
efficiency than those that lack procedures and management practices focused on
continuous improvement of energy performance. Energy Management Systems
(EnMSs) provide the framework to manage energy and promote continuous
improvement. They establish assessment, planning, and evaluation procedures, which
are critical for actually realizing and sustaining the potential energy efficiency gains of
new technologies or operational changes.
There are a number of guidelines aimed at helping companies to establish an effective
EnMS - including those from United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)
and the recent ISO 50000 series of the International Standards Organization.

Although they may differ in their details, these guidelines promote continuous
improvement of energy efficiency through:

Organizational practices and policies;

Team development;

Planning and evaluation;

Tracking and measurement;

Communication and employee engagement; and;

Evaluation and corrective measures (US EPA, 2010)


The major elements of a strategic energy management system is depicted in the
Figure.
A sound energy management program is required to create a foundation for positive
change and to provide guidance for managing energy throughout an organization.
Continuous improvements to energy efficiency therefore typically only occur when a
strong organizational commitment exists. Energy management programs help to ensure
that energy efficiency improvements do not just happen on a one-time basis, but rather
are continuously identified and implemented in a process of continuous improvement.
While EMSs can help organizations achieve greater savings through a focus on
continuous improvement, they do not guarantee energy savings or carbon dioxide
reductions alone. Combined with effective plant energy benchmarking and appropriate
plant improvements, EMSs can help achieve greater savings.

Iron and Steel Case Studies

OneSteel - EnMS Case Study


Source:
Australia's Energy Efficiency Opportunities program
Format:

PDF
Type:
Case Studies
This case study examines how OneSteel is embedding energy efficiency into its core
business processes. It describes OneSteel's approach to energy efficiency and the new
systems and tools that were developed for the Sydney Steel Mills group and are now
being rolled out across OneSteel. As a result, Onesteel are expected to achieve an
annual energy saving of over 6% of total energy use through adopted savings
opportunities identified by its assessments for the EEO program.
http://www.ret.gov.au/energy/Documents/energyefficiencyopps/PDF/OneSteel%20Case
%...

Introduction and Implementation of an Energy Management System


and Energy Systems Optimization - Arcelormittal Saldanha Works
Format:
PDF
Type:
Case Studies
This case study provides a detailed accounts of introducing and implementing an
Energy Management System and Energy System Optimization in Arcelormittal's
Saldanha works located in South Africa.
http://www.iee.csir.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/AM-Suldanah-Works-case-stud...

Iron and Steel Presentations

Energy Management Systems in Iron and Steel Industry


Date:
Nov

2012
Source:
World Steel Association
Format:
PDF
Type:
Presentations
This presentation is presented by Ladislav Horvath of World Stell Association during the
China EnMS workshop organized by IIP, and gives a thorough overview of main energy
issues in Iron and Steel plants and how these can be effectively addressed by
Environmental Management Systems.
http://ietd.iipnetwork.org/sites/ietp/files/WSA_EnMS.pdf
[1]
World Steel Association, 2012.
[2]
International Energy Agency (2009) Energy Technology Transitions for Industry.
The Institute for Industrial Productivity Site by MSDS
The Institute for Industrial Productivity welcomes information on relevant industrial efficiency
technologies or measures that are not currently included in the database or if information in
this database is incorrect or out-of-date.
Please address your input to info@iipnetwork.org.
The Institute for Industrial Productivity acknowledges Fraunhofer ISI, IREES, LBNL-China
Energy Group, E3M Inc., ISR-UC, Holtec, Utrecht University, and FAI for their valuable
contributions.

Institute for Industrial Productivity

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