The US-based Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA) has stated in its new report that fossil-free steelmaking technologies will require at least 10 times as much electricity as existing blast furnaces and that the US steel industry will need 174 TWh of electricity per year by 2050 to cut its carbon emissions by up to 57 percent.
In the meantime, decarbonization of steelmaking with renewable energies would need at least 28 GW of solar and wind energy resources, as well as 58 GW of battery storage by 2050.
“State governments, grid operators, and electricity producers should prepare today by securing funding, applying for permits, and collaboratively planning for increased clean energy deployment and expanded regional transmission,” Jen Snook, industrial sector advisor at CEBA, commented.
Additionally, CEBA stated that utility companies will need to offer more carbon-free energy options, allowing steelmakers to operate with low-cost, reliable clean energy and to meet demand for near-zero emissions steel. Transmission reform also can help the steel industry have easier access to sources of clean electricity, it said.