At World Steel Association’s (worldsteel) Breakthrough Technology Conference held in Abu Dhabi on December 5-6, Alexander Fleischanderl, global head of green steel at UK-based plantmaker Primetals Technologies has made a presentation regarding green steel and shared his expectations for the future.
Stating that this is a make-or-break decade, Mr. Fleischanderl said that 71 percent of blast furnaces worldwide will require major refurbishment by 2030 and said that investors must choose between refurbishing existing furnaces or switching to electric arc furnaces. He stressed that electrification of production, carbon direct avoidance and carbon capture usage and storage are the pathways to achieve net-zero in the sector. Saying that iron quality determines the process route, he added that energy cost is the main driver for electrification and a hydrogen eco system.
He also noted that low-carbon technologies will more than double from the current 26 percent to over 60 percent of total steel production by 2050. This represents over 850 million mt of additional low-carbon steel production by the given year. In addition to currently available technologies, new low-carbon technologies will be required.
Reporting that Europe is most active in the industry transition based on DRI, EAFs and smelters, Fleischanderl stated that globally a total of 37 DRI plants, 63 EAFs and six smelters have been announced. He said that he expects to see a strong growth in DR plants over the next 30-50 years.