Mining company BHP and engineering firm Hatch have partnered to design a pilot plant for an electric smelting furnace (ESF), which could offer a low CO2 steel production method. The plant will use iron ore from BHP’s Pilbara mine in Western Australia to test the process with steel producers and technology providers, with a long-term aim to accelerate ESF technology scale-up.
ESFs offer a potential solution as they use electricity and hydrogen to produce steel from iron ore, rather than relying on direct reduced iron methods, which involve using high temperatures to remove oxygen from iron ore. Further, compared to low-emission technologies like electric arc furnaces, ESFs have the advantage of being able to handle a broader range of impurities and raw materials during the processing of ores.
Traditional steelmaking emits almost two tons of CO2 per ton of steel produced, making it a highly polluting industry that is responsible for 7% of global emissions. BHP and Hatch estimate that this method could reduce CO2 emissions by over 80%.
The pilot project will be followed by an assessment of various locations for the proposed facility around Australia based on existing infrastructure, skills and availability of local partnerships.
Source: PRESS RELEASE
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