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L. Ren et al.
7.2.3.1 Reduction in Carbon Input
(1) Use cleaner fuel with better low-carbon performance during production process,
such as clean power. (2) Upgrade production techniques to enhance energy efficiency,
as elaborated in the previous section. (3) Replace coke and coal—traditionally important for iron and steel production with high-carbon emissions. In some places, gasbased direct reduction and oil–gas injection technologies have already in use, but
only in smaller scale by far. Charcoal as another substitute for coke is currently used
in iron and steel production, and its performance improvement provides an alternative for development. Other alternatives include using ferro-coke as reducing agent,
using biomass and waste plastics to replace coal, and using hydrogen as reducing
agent, etc. (Zhang et al. 2018).
7.2.3.2 Reduction in Carbon Output
CCS (carbon capture and storage) technology is deployed for centralized treatment
of CO 2 to avoid extra greenhouse effect. CO 2 generated from combustion of fossil
fuels in energy sector and other industries is either separated and captured for reuse,
or transported by pipeline into geological stratifications thousands of meters underground or by vessels to the seabed for encapsulated storage isolated from atmosphere.
Main capture methods currently in use are pre-combustion capture, oxygen-enriched
combustion and post-combustion capture, the last being commonly adopted in iron
and steel industry, which mostly employs technologies such as cryogenic separation,
physical absorption, chemical absorption, membrane separation, etc. Major fields
of application for captured CO 2 include oil displacement, CO 2 strengthened coal
bed gas and food grade CO 2 refinement. This technology is recognized as effective in combatting climate change and cut carbon emissions. US, Australia, EU and
the Middle East attach great importance to the development of CCS technology,
providing policy and financial incentives and promoting scientific research to jointly
address the climate issue.
Currently, CCS is the only available technology to dramatically (by as much
as 90%) reduce CO 2 emissions from the power sector and the industries. Without
CCS, the overall cost to reach the long-term goal of climate change mitigation at the
national level would increase by 25%, i.e. 1 trillion USD (ETC 2019). Early demo
projects of CCS in China make it possible to effectively and promptly promote this
technology in the country in the next 10 to 15 years.
7.2.4 Production Side—Low Carbon Demo Projects
Ultra-low CO 2 iron and steel production demo projects have been launched across
the world, centering on four new steelmaking technologies: top gas circulation for
BF, smelting reduction technology, advanced direction reduction technology (mainly
L. Ren et al.
7.2.3.1 Reduction in Carbon Input
(1) Use cleaner fuel with better low-carbon performance during production process,
such as clean power. (2) Upgrade production techniques to enhance energy efficiency,
as elaborated in the previous section. (3) Replace coke and coal—traditionally important for iron and steel production with high-carbon emissions. In some places, gasbased direct reduction and oil–gas injection technologies have already in use, but
only in smaller scale by far. Charcoal as another substitute for coke is currently used
in iron and steel production, and its performance improvement provides an alternative for development. Other alternatives include using ferro-coke as reducing agent,
using biomass and waste plastics to replace coal, and using hydrogen as reducing
agent, etc. (Zhang et al. 2018).
7.2.3.2 Reduction in Carbon Output
CCS (carbon capture and storage) technology is deployed for centralized treatment
of CO 2 to avoid extra greenhouse effect. CO 2 generated from combustion of fossil
fuels in energy sector and other industries is either separated and captured for reuse,
or transported by pipeline into geological stratifications thousands of meters underground or by vessels to the seabed for encapsulated storage isolated from atmosphere.
Main capture methods currently in use are pre-combustion capture, oxygen-enriched
combustion and post-combustion capture, the last being commonly adopted in iron
and steel industry, which mostly employs technologies such as cryogenic separation,
physical absorption, chemical absorption, membrane separation, etc. Major fields
of application for captured CO 2 include oil displacement, CO 2 strengthened coal
bed gas and food grade CO 2 refinement. This technology is recognized as effective in combatting climate change and cut carbon emissions. US, Australia, EU and
the Middle East attach great importance to the development of CCS technology,
providing policy and financial incentives and promoting scientific research to jointly
address the climate issue.
Currently, CCS is the only available technology to dramatically (by as much
as 90%) reduce CO 2 emissions from the power sector and the industries. Without
CCS, the overall cost to reach the long-term goal of climate change mitigation at the
national level would increase by 25%, i.e. 1 trillion USD (ETC 2019). Early demo
projects of CCS in China make it possible to effectively and promptly promote this
technology in the country in the next 10 to 15 years.
7.2.4 Production Side—Low Carbon Demo Projects
Ultra-low CO 2 iron and steel production demo projects have been launched across
the world, centering on four new steelmaking technologies: top gas circulation for
BF, smelting reduction technology, advanced direction reduction technology (mainly