Project description
Scrap steel that is good for the planet
The steel industry is responsible for around 7 % of global CO2 emissions. Therefore, the sector’s decarbonisation will play a key role in achieving the EU climate goals for 2050. Scrap steel can make an important contribution. Increasing the use of scrap to minimise pig iron (hot metal) usage and reducing iron ore in coal-fired blast furnaces to reduce CO2 emissions is a method to achieve more sustainable and competitive production. Furthermore, retaining alloying elements in scrap steel will valorise scrap. The EU-funded HIYIELD project will maximise scrap quality by improving technologies for the removal of impurities and optimising use of alloying elements. The approach includes improved scrap identification and classification with tracking in the circular economy.
Objective
Steelmaking is a key process for a climate neutral, circular and digitized production. On one hand it enables green technologies in providing the most relevant materials needed to achieve climate neutrality, on the other hand it accounts for 7% of total world CO2 emissions.
Its transition towards a more sustainable and still competitive production requires to increase the use of scrap to minimize the pig iron usage from coal fired blast furnaces with inherent CO2 emissions from reducing the iron ore. Furthermore, scrap can be valorised by use of carbon carriers and containing alloying elements in steel scrap, e.g. in recycling of Mn steels.
HIYIELD aims to promote circular economy by progressively increasing the scrap uptake in three scenarios that represent the current European steelmaking routes. With the ambition to deliver solutions with relevance to all steelmakers, the consortium includes three producers with different portfolio.
Main objectives are:
- to maximise scrap quality by optimal technologies for removal of impurities and optimal use of alloying elements
- to maximise scrap use by improved scrap identification and classification together with scrap tracking in circular economy
- to maximise product quality with further scrap uptake by charge optimization and ensuring the liquid steel analysis and thus the final steel product quality
HIYIELD contributes to the fight against climate change and to the EU steel industry competitiveness through the application of highly innovative methods and technologies to the steel sector such as:
- Deep Learning based Computer Vision for scrap identification and control
- Digital Scrap Information Card for scrap tracking
- High Speed Sampling and analysis to avoid waiting times for steel analysis.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwaste managementwaste treatment processesrecycling
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsfossil energycoal
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencecomputer vision
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencemachine learningdeep learning
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicssustainable economy
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation ActionsCoordinator
100 44 Stockholm
Sweden