About
Few words about the ZEROSTEEL
Background
Steel production is one of the largest industrial sources of global CO2 emissions, accounting for approximately 8% of total annual emissions. The traditional steelmaking process, heavily reliant on coal and other fossil fuels, emits an average of 1.85 tons of CO2 per ton of steel produced. As demand for steel continues to grow, reducing its carbon footprint has become a crucial goal for the industry.
The European Green Deal and international climate agreements have placed decarbonization at the forefront of industrial innovation. However, transforming the steel sector requires addressing significant technological, economic, and social challenges. These include reducing emissions across the value chain, mitigating reliance on carbon-intensive processes, and integrating renewable energy sources. ZEROSTEEL was established to tackle these challenges and demonstrate scalable, sustainable solutions for CO2-neutral steel production.
What is ZEROSTEEL
ZEROSTEEL is a groundbreaking research initiative focused on creating CO2-neutral steel production by integrating innovative technologies, renewable energy, and advanced digital tools. The project addresses critical challenges in the steel industry, such as reducing carbon emissions, lowering costs, and improving efficiency, while maintaining high-quality production. By leveraging hydrogen-based processes, waste biomass utilization, and AI-powered digital twins, ZEROSTEEL aims to transform steelmaking into a sustainable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly operation. It is supported by a consortium of leading industry partners and researchers under the Horizon Europe framework.
Discover how ZeroSteel is paving the way for a carbon-neutral future with cutting-edge technology, renewable energy, and digital innovation
Key Objectives
ZEROSTEEL’s objectives are centered around developing and implementing innovative technologies for a sustainable steel industry
Integration of waste biomass in the pre-heating and reduction stages to achieve below-zero emissions.
Development of four advanced reduction methods utilizing hydrogen, including fluidized bed reactors, rotary kilns, microwave-assisted reduction, and hydrogen plasma smelting.
Use of biochar as a slag foaming agent to reduce emissions in Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) operations.
Adoption of hybrid plasma heating and renewable energy-based induction heating for forming and shaping steel.
Implementation of AI-driven digital twins for real-time quality monitoring and process optimization.
Comprehensive evaluation of environmental, financial, and social impacts to ensure sustainable operations.
Methodology
ZEROSTEEL employs a comprehensive and interdisciplinary methodology to achieve its vision of CO2-neutral steel production. The project integrates innovative processes, advanced technologies, and sustainable practices across the entire steelmaking value chain. Key components of the methodology include:
Integration of Renewable Resources
- Utilizing waste biomass through a novel chemical looping pre-heating and pre-reduction process (CLpre) to pre-heat and partially reduce iron ore while generating pure CO2 for storage or reuse.
- Employing hydrogen produced from renewable sources, such as biomass gasification or electrolysis, for various reduction processes.
Development of Hydrogen-Based Reduction Technologies
Designing advanced systems such as fluidized bed reactors (FBRs), rotary kilns, microwave-assisted reduction, and hydrogen plasma smelting to replace carbon-intensive methods.
Digital Twin Implementation
Creating AI-driven digital twin models for real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and process optimization. These tools enhance quality control and increase overall production efficiency.
Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)
Applying LCA to evaluate the environmental impact of ZEROSTEEL’s processes compared to conventional methods, aiming to demonstrate significant reductions in CO2 emissions and resource consumption.
Material and Process Innovation
- Investigating the use of biochar as a sustainable slag foaming agent in Electric Arc Furnaces (EAFs).
- Combining advanced heating methods like hybrid plasma torches and renewable energy-based induction heating for shaping and forming steel.
Collaborative Development
Working closely with a diverse consortium of raw material providers, technology developers, and industry end-users to ensure practical and scalable solutions.
Pilot Testing and Scale-Up
Conducting lab-scale experiments and scaling up to pilot demonstrations to validate technologies before full-scale industrial deployment.
By employing this multi-faceted approach, ZEROSTEEL aims to revolutionize steel production, combining environmental sustainability with economic feasibility and technological innovation.
Our Partners
Companies like Otanmäki Mine Oy and VALE supply the essential raw materials needed for innovative steel production processes
Institutions such as IJL/CNRS, TUBAF, TUWIEN, and KUL are spearheading the design and implementation of cutting-edge technologies.
Organizations like DITENCO play a crucial role in testing and verifying the efficacy of the proposed processes
Technologies
ZEROSTEEL integrates cutting-edge technologies designed to revolutionize steel production by reducing CO2 emissions and improving efficiency across the value chain. These technologies are tailored to replace traditional, carbon-intensive methods with innovative processes powered by renewable energy and advanced systems.
A central innovation is the use of hydrogen-based reduction technologies, including fluidized bed reactors, rotary kilns, microwave-assisted reduction, and hydrogen plasma smelting. These methods enable the production of Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) without the need for pelletization, significantly reducing both emissions and costs. Hydrogen serves as a clean reductant, sourced from renewable energy-driven electrolysis or biomass gasification.
Chemical looping pre-heating and pre-reduction (CLpre) represents another breakthrough. This process uses biomass to pre-heat and partially reduce iron ore while producing pure CO2, which can be captured for storage or reuse. This approach not only minimizes hydrogen consumption but also supports below-zero emission targets for steelmaking.
ZEROSTEEL also explores the integration of biochar into Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) operations. Derived from low-grade biomass, biochar acts as a sustainable slag foaming agent, reducing the reliance on fossil-based materials and enabling a significant decrease in CO2 emissions.
For shaping and reheating processes, the project incorporates hybrid plasma torches and renewable energy-based induction heating. These methods achieve rapid, efficient heating with minimal energy loss, contributing to 100% CO2 emission reductions in certain stages of production.
To enhance operational efficiency, ZEROSTEEL employs AI-driven digital twins. These advanced models provide real-time monitoring and predictive analytics, ensuring consistent steel quality while reducing waste and energy consumption.
Together, these innovative technologies form the backbone of ZEROSTEEL’s mission to achieve a CO2-neutral steel production process while maintaining economic feasibility and technical excellence.
Discover how ZeroSteel is paving the way for a carbon-neutral future with cutting-edge technology, renewable energy, and digital innovation
Performance
ZEROSTEEL’s performance is driven by its commitment to achieving ambitious targets in CO2 reduction, energy efficiency, and technological advancement. The project measures its success through quantifiable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and real-world demonstrations across the steel production process:
Achieving up to 90% lower CO2 emissions compared to traditional steelmaking methods by integrating hydrogen-based technologies and renewable energy sources.
Demonstrating metallization rates above 95% in direct reduction processes using fluidized bed reactors and rotary kilns powered by hydrogen.
Reducing energy consumption by using innovative pre-heating methods such as microwave-assisted reduction and chemical looping pre-heating, which enable significant energy savings.
Omitting the pelletization step by adapting processes to use unpelletized iron ore, saving resources and further reducing emissions.
Achieving a 40% decrease in fuel consumption and up to 100% CO2 emission reductions in reheating processes through hybrid plasma torches and renewable induction heating.
Increasing production efficiency by 50% and improving steel quality by 40% through AI-driven digital twin systems for monitoring and predictive maintenance.
Integrating biochar into Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) operations as a sustainable slag foaming agent, enabling a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions from this process.
Lowering the cost of green steel production by 15%, ensuring economic feasibility and market competitiveness for sustainable steel solutions.
