| Abstract Scope |
Steel production accounts for around 7% of global anthropogenic GHG emissions. However, as a critical foundational material with near limitless recyclability, fully decarbonized production pathways must be developed to move toward a net-zero industrial sector. Opportunities to reduce emissions include increasing scrap recycling, electrification of process heating, replacement of high temperature process with low temperature processes, and elimination of carbon as primary reductant in producing metallic iron from virgin ores.
In this presentation, the global steel production landscape is discussed, alongside an overview of the major technical challenges that need to be overcome to drive deep, industry-wide adoption of decarbonized processes. The existing U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office’s (IEDO) portfolio of applied RD&D projects is discussed in relation to these challenges, as well applicable learnings from IEDO’s broader industrial decarbonization program with activities in other emissions-intensive manufacturing sectors such as cement, forestry products, and chemicals. |