The steel industry is responsible for around 7 % of global CO2 emissions. Therefore, the sector’s decarbonization 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 minimize 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 valorize scrap. The EU-funded HIYIELD project will maximize scrap quality by improving technologies for the removal of impurities and optimizing use of alloying elements. The approach includes improved scrap identification and classification with tracking in the circular economy. The main industrial objectives, which the project addresses, beside many others, are:
• To maximize scrap quality by optimal technologies for impurities removal and optimal use of alloying elements.
• To maximize scrap use by improved scrap identification and classification together with scrap tracking in circular economy.
• To maximize product quality with further scrap uptake by charge optimization and ensuring the liquid steel analysis and thus the final steel product quality.
The targeted topic implements the co-programmed European Clean Steel Partnership (CSP), developed in the context of the EU goal and policies to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Global crude steel production reached 1,864 million tons (Mt) in 2020. Second producer after Asia (i.e. China), the EU produced 138.8 Mt of crude steel in 2020, very substantial numbers in spite of the Covid-19 pandemic. On average, 1.8 tons of CO2 are emitted for every ton of steel produced. Overall, the iron and steel industry accounts for approximately 7% of total world CO2 emissions, directly accounting for 2.6 Gt CO2 and ranking first when it comes to CO2 emissions, and second when it comes to energy consumption. HIYIELD represents the effort of selected key representatives of the steelmaking value chain (steelmakers, scrap suppliers, sampler & probe suppliers and technology partners) to contribute to the reduction of these emissions and thereby to the compliance of EU climate targets. HIYIELD targets the implementation of innovative ICT technologies and methods such as augmented reality, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Big Data aiming at increasing the scrap uptake in a number of scenarios that represent the current European steelmaking routes. The overarching objective is to increase the environmental sustainability and the competitive advantage of the European steel production value chain anticipating and addressing the emergent need of European producers for cleaner, source-controlled and better products. The consortium is properly balanced with the presence of steel manufacturers and scrap suppliers.
