[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/10599\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EEuropean steel industry seeks green credentials to match its economic, political weight\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn an industrial test site near the north-eastern French city of Metz, a machine the size of a small two-storey house is producing iron plates. With this process, Europe is taking a key step in fighting climate change.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat is taking place is steel production through electrolysis, a new method that avoids heavy-polluting coal and reduces emissions of greenhouse gases including CO2. Using these new technologies, steel companies are hoping to decarbonise their own industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPilot plant\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe French pilot plant of Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal, the world\u2019s second-largest steel producer, emerged through the EU-funded \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/768788\u0022\u003ESIDERWIN\u003C\/a\u003E project, which ended this past March after more than five years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile modest in the grand scheme of things, producing a tiny fraction of the steel volumes of a normal plant, the pilot site has big expectations riding on it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018During 2025 and 2025, we will develop our first small industrial plant,\u2019 said Valentine Weber-Zollinger, an ArcelorMittal engineer who coordinated SIDERWIN. \u2018Our ambition is to have this pilot plant in operation in 2027. After that, we need to increase the size to that of a full-scale steel mill, which would happen by 2030.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIndustrial emissions including from steel production contribute significantly to global warming worldwide and in Europe.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECrucial for everything from cars and fridges to bridges and railways, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu\/jrc-news\/eu-climate-targets-how-decarbonise-steel-industry-2022-06-15_en\u0022\u003Esteel\u003C\/a\u003E is responsible for about 7% of global and 5% of European CO2 emissions. By comparison, aviation accounts for around 2.5% of worldwide CO2.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESteel manufacturers have been in the sights of European climate legislators since \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/climate.ec.europa.eu\/eu-action\/eu-emissions-trading-system-eu-ets\/development-eu-ets-2005-2020_en\u0022\u003E2005\u003C\/a\u003E, when the EU began capping greenhouse gases from factories as well as power plants through the world\u2019s biggest emissions-trading system, or ETS.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince then, emitters under the ETS have faced steadily tighter annual caps as the EU pursues climate-neutrality by 2050. The stricter regulation has in turn prompted steel manufacturers in Europe to step up the hunt for greener production methods.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClout and climate\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Europe, the sector has annual turnover of around \u20ac125 billion and employs more than 300 000 people, according to industry association \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eurofer.eu\/assets\/publications\/brochures-booklets-and-factsheets\/european-steel-in-figures-2022\/European-Steel-in-Figures-2022-v2.pdf\u0022\u003EEurofer\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEurope\u2019s steel industry also has political importance rooted in the 1951 European Coal and Steel Community. The ECSC marked a first step toward European integration after World War II.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s crucial that we decarbonise the sector as fast as possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003ERichard Porter, C4U\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEuropean climate ambitions along with the steel industry\u2019s economic and political weight in Europe led the EU this year to approve an unprecedented trade-policy plan known as the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu\/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism_en\u0022\u003ECarbon Border Adjustment Mechanism\u003C\/a\u003E, or CBAM. It\u2019ll impose a levy on EU imports of goods including steel if they come from countries where manufacturers are spared the climate-protection costs faced by producers in the ETS.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Steel production is one of the most energy-intensive industrial processes in existence,\u2019 said Richard Porter, senior research associate at the University College London. \u2018It produces a lot of CO2 emissions, so it\u2019s crucial that we decarbonise the sector as fast as possible.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDirty work\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESteel production emits CO2 chiefly in three ways. In a typical steel plant, coal is used to produce coke, which in turn is a main energy source in blast furnaces.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECoke is also used as a so-called reducing agent. In this role, coke is burnt together with iron and creates a chemical process in which oxygen is removed from the iron ore and produces molten iron that is eventually used to make steel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn top of that, a steelworks uses a lot of electricity, most of which is generated on site but for now still comes from CO2-producing sources. Nevertheless, the primary emissions source in steelmaking is the use of coal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo far, the EU steel industry has focused its decarbonisation strategy mainly on hydrogen-based possibilities, according to the European Commission\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022about:blank\u0022\u003EJoint Research Centre\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022ArcelorMittal\u0027s pilot plant in France uses electrolysis to produce iron plates. \u00a9SIDERWIN\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022file\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u0022a0a5d1f5-7d42-44fb-8637-0a66ae7a278c\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/Image%20du%20pilote%20SIDERWIN.jpg\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003EArcelorMittal\u0027s pilot plant in France uses electrolysis to produce iron plates. \u00a9SIDERWIN\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EFor example, Sweden-based H2 Green Steel plans to use a plant in the northern part of the country to produce the metal with green hydrogen \u2013 powered by fossil-free electricity \u2013 rather than with coal. The expectation is that CO2 emissions could be reduced by as much as 95% compared with traditional steelmaking.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECarbon capture\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther options include not just electrolysis but also so-called carbon capture, which is the focus of the work by Porter.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We want to capture the majority of the CO2 from a steelworks,\u2019 he said. \u2018We target the gases that contain CO2 and use chemical processes to capture it.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPorter is part of the EU-funded \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/884418\u0022\u003EC4U\u003C\/a\u003E project, which is developing this technology. Running for four years through March 2024, the project aims to test the research in steelworks in Belgium, Spain and Sweden.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf the system works and manages to scale, it would make a big difference. C4U aims for full commercial implementation in 2030.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Our aim is to capture and mitigate around 90% of the emissions of a steelworks,\u2019 Porter said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe captured CO2 would then be either stored \u2013 for example in depleted oil and natural gas fields under the sea \u2013 or used in other industrial processes, such as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/recodeh2020.eu\/project\u0022\u003Ecement production\u003C\/a\u003E, where the carbon isn\u0027t re-emitted.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECarbon-capture technology, however, has its fair share of critics because it doesn\u0027t require a fundamental rethink of how to make steel in the way that, for example, electrolysis does. Producers can simply pursue business as usual, equipping factories with carbon-capture equipment and prolonging dirty production.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPorter is aware of these critiques.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Hopefully carbon capture can be a steppingstone to different types of steel production,\u2019 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERetro-fitting steelworks with carbon-capture technology can reduce CO2 emissions as a stop-gap measure while fundamentally cleaner forms of steel production are introduced.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECurrent reactions\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s where SIDERWIN\u2019s activity enters the picture. Instead of coal being used as a reducing agent, electricity would do this job.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\r\nOur approach will allow us to drastically reduce CO2\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EJean-Paul Allemand, SIDERWIN\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u2018There are two electrodes that we submerge in a fluid called an electrolyte,\u2019 said Weber-Zollinger of ArcelorMittal. \u2018When you add current, it will create a reaction that can separate iron from the oxygen in the iron mineral source.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing electrolysis in this way would reduce the bulk of CO2 emissions from steel production. The question is whether the process can be scaled up.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project participants built a pilot plant to find out.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a previous project, ArcelorMittal had already constructed a pilot plant that could produce a plate of around three to four kilogrammes of iron, which can eventually be transformed into steel. The new system produces plates of around one square metre that weigh between 20 kg and 50 kg.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Our approach will allow us to drastically reduce CO2,\u2019 said Jean-Paul Allemand, research centre manager of ArcelorMittal. \u2018But there will still be remaining emissions that we will need to capture.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll of which means research in this whole area in Europe will remain active on numerous fronts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We need to get a move on \u2013 both with the deployment of carbon capture as with new production methods,\u2019 said Porter of C4U. \u2018There are a lot of pilots and exciting developments. But more is needed.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch in this article was funded by the EU. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-8a33yjnyzqq-fws-zvskbsqhp5gblzn0o6ccquxxtc\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-8a33yjNyZQQ--fws_zvsKbSQhP5gbLzN0o6CCqUXXtc\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]