This brief evaluates energy consumption in the steel industry and its role in the decarbonisation efforts in the industry with an emphasis on the EAF based production route. Globally, steel industry emits ~3.6Gt of CO2 accounting for a share of 7-9 % of the global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. The carbon emissions associated with the steel industry are attributed to the use of the fossil fuels. The review will touch upon the energy use in iron and steel making with specific emphasis on energy management aspects of a typical EAF (Electric Arc Furnace) steel mill.
According to World Steel Association, the global crude steel production was 1.9 billion metric tonnes in 2023 with BF-BOF process accounting for ~70 % and the balance being EAF. The overall carbon intensity in steel making was an estimated 1.9 t CO2 per tonne of steel resulting from an energy consumption of 21 GJ/t steel. The energy consumed and the resulting carbon intensity varies across production routes – BF-BOF and EAF. The energy consumption in a BF-BOF is in the range of 17-23 GJ/t steel and carbon intensity being ~2.3 t CO2/t steel. Whereas, EAF has a far lower carbon footprint at 0.7-1.3 t CO2/t steel and the energy intensity being 2-3 GJ/t steel based on scope 1 emissions alone. Understandably, steel industry decarbonisation efforts are focused on addressing the emissions via BF-BOF through process improvements and/ or radical shift in the process route by replacing BF-BOF with EAF-DRI system.
