HYbrid TEChnologies for sustainable steel reHEATing

Currently, NG is normally substituted by hydrogen in upstream processes (both blast furnace and DRI), or limited application in finishing lines. Current downstream processes totally rely on NG burning as thermal source.

Therefore, the massive usage of hydrogen in steel industry, as envisioned in the Carbon Direct Avoidance pathway of the ESTEP/EUROFER masterplan, requires a transformation of entire steelmaking process from liquid production process (UPSTREAM) to the rolling and finishing line (DOWNSTREAM).

This research project is aimed at adopting hybrid heating technology (based on NG with progressive and increasing H2 utilization) in downstream processes.

Thermal treatment and reheating processes, which are common to both BF and EAF route have a significant NG demand (about 50 Nm3/t of produced steel). also utilization for ladle preheating has a relevant NG demand (in the range 5-15 Nm3/t).

In order to allow the shift from NG to H2 and consequently to reduce the environmental impact by using innovative combustion technologies (like flameless and oxyfuel combustion), impacts on steel quality, refractory and furnace must be assessed at high TRL (7).The general objective of this project is to exploit the hybrid heating technologies by evaluating the effects of the steel products, on the refractories and also on the combustion systems.

Three Demo cases testing innovative multifuel burner and testing the limit of current systems at TRL 7 will facilitate the hydrogen transition of the steel sector. Achieved results will bring to a CO2 saving in the range 7.5-25Mt/year.

Regarding the steel quality, the project activities will individuate the optimum processing parameters to ensure that primary scale and associated scale defects do not persist through to the final product.