7 Development of Low Carbon Technology in China’s Iron …
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BF requires the partial use of scrap steel (a maximum of 35%). EAF can apply
100% of scrap steel but if 100% DRI is used, scrap steel would not be utilized. As
scrap steel is insufficient at present, it is unrealistic to produce all new steel with
recycled resources.
It should be noted that iron and steel products are simplified as finished steel,
foundry iron and steel without elaborated taxonomy.
7.5.1.2 Process Energy Consumption Intensity
Process energy consumption intensity is defined as direct energy input per unit mass
of product produced with a certain process, where product refers to the product of
the process and is not necessarily the final one. Again, with iron ore as an example.
In 2015, the energy consumption intensity of ore dressing was 110.4 MJ/t, i.e.
110.4 MJ of energy input is needed per ton of iron ore concentrate. Unit consumption multiplied by process energy consumption intensity equals energy use of the
process, and the final energy consumption intensity of steel material for vehicles
is the total of energy use of all processes. Iron ores are processed into crude steel
product throughout dressing, sintering, palletizing, BF ironmaking and BOF steelmaking, and then processed into finished steel or foundry components as materials for
vehicle spare parts. Compared to iron and steel produced by iron ores, the producing
secondary iron and steel is less complicated, with recycled scrap iron and steel fed
into EAF for smelting (WSA 2018). The results show that BF ironmaking, coking
and EAF steelmaking rank the top in energy consumption, with correspondingly
higher emissions.
7.5.1.3 Import, Export and Transport
About 87.5% of iron ores in China relied on import in 2015. For imported iron
ores, energy consumption in the mining process is not considered, and the sea travel
distance is the average distance from exporting countries to China weighted by their
respective proportion in China’s ore import. According to the statistics of customs
and industrial association, the average sea travel distance of imported iron ores is
6652 nautical miles and the railway transport distance to iron and steel plants is set
as 533 km, which is an average railway transport distance for metal ores (National
Bureau of Statistics 2018). The means and distance of transportation of locally
extracted ores are determined with reference to imported ores on arrival. Suppose
the average distance between scrap steel hub and steel plant is 300 km by road transport. Suppose the processed iron and steel materials are transported to spare part
manufacturer 200 km away by truck.
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BF requires the partial use of scrap steel (a maximum of 35%). EAF can apply
100% of scrap steel but if 100% DRI is used, scrap steel would not be utilized. As
scrap steel is insufficient at present, it is unrealistic to produce all new steel with
recycled resources.
It should be noted that iron and steel products are simplified as finished steel,
foundry iron and steel without elaborated taxonomy.
7.5.1.2 Process Energy Consumption Intensity
Process energy consumption intensity is defined as direct energy input per unit mass
of product produced with a certain process, where product refers to the product of
the process and is not necessarily the final one. Again, with iron ore as an example.
In 2015, the energy consumption intensity of ore dressing was 110.4 MJ/t, i.e.
110.4 MJ of energy input is needed per ton of iron ore concentrate. Unit consumption multiplied by process energy consumption intensity equals energy use of the
process, and the final energy consumption intensity of steel material for vehicles
is the total of energy use of all processes. Iron ores are processed into crude steel
product throughout dressing, sintering, palletizing, BF ironmaking and BOF steelmaking, and then processed into finished steel or foundry components as materials for
vehicle spare parts. Compared to iron and steel produced by iron ores, the producing
secondary iron and steel is less complicated, with recycled scrap iron and steel fed
into EAF for smelting (WSA 2018). The results show that BF ironmaking, coking
and EAF steelmaking rank the top in energy consumption, with correspondingly
higher emissions.
7.5.1.3 Import, Export and Transport
About 87.5% of iron ores in China relied on import in 2015. For imported iron
ores, energy consumption in the mining process is not considered, and the sea travel
distance is the average distance from exporting countries to China weighted by their
respective proportion in China’s ore import. According to the statistics of customs
and industrial association, the average sea travel distance of imported iron ores is
6652 nautical miles and the railway transport distance to iron and steel plants is set
as 533 km, which is an average railway transport distance for metal ores (National
Bureau of Statistics 2018). The means and distance of transportation of locally
extracted ores are determined with reference to imported ores on arrival. Suppose
the average distance between scrap steel hub and steel plant is 300 km by road transport. Suppose the processed iron and steel materials are transported to spare part
manufacturer 200 km away by truck.