The energy-intensive steel industry is a large emitter of CO2 accounting about 7% of total world CO2 emissions. thyssenkrupp Steel is aware of its responsibility and is implementing a transformation pathway towards a net zero emission steel production until the year 2045. Goal is the shift from a coal-based towards an electricity- and hydrogen-based metallurgy. Therefore, existing blast furnaces will be substituted by innovative direct reduction plants in combination with electric melting aggregates [1]. Thereby, interim scenarios can support to integrate the new plants and the associated new material and energy flows into the integrated steel sites and enable simultaneously emission savings [2,3].
Within the PhD, different steel production routes are analysed using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. Thus, measures are evaluated from a global perspective.
Publications:
[1] Suer, J., Ahrenhold, F., Traverso, M.: Carbon Footprint and Energy Transformation Analysis of Steel Produced via a Direct Reduction Plant with an Integrated Electric Melting Unit. Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy (2022). Published August 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40831-022-00585-x
[2] Suer, J., Traverso, M., Ahrenhold, F.: Carbon footprint of scenarios towards climate-neutral steel according to ISO 14067. Journal of Cleaner Production (2021). Published August 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128588
[3] Suer, J., Ahrenhold, F., Traverso, M.: Sustainable transition of the primary steel production: Carbon footprint studies of hot-rolled coil according to ISO 14067. LCM 2021. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202234907004
Contact:
M.Sc. Julian Suer
Mail: julian.suer@inab.rwth-aachen.de
