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ISSN 0543-5846
METABK 48(3) 193-197 (2009)
UDC UDK 669.1:504 = 111
Global CO2 emissions caused by the burning of fossil fuels over the past century are presented. Taking into consideration the total world production of more than 1,3 billion tons of steel, the steel industry produces over
two billion tons of CO2. Reductions in CO2 emissions as a result of technological improvements and structural
changes in steel production in industrialized countries during the past 40 years are described. Substantial further reductions in those emissions will not be possible using conventional technologies. Instead, a radical cutback may be achieved if, instead of carbon, hydrogen is used for direct iron ore reduction. The cost and the
ensuing CO2 generation in the production of hydrogen as a reducing agent from various sources are analysed.
Key words: metallurgy, steel industry, CO2 emissions, direct iron ore reduction
CO2 emisije u industriji ~elika. Prikazane su globalne emisije uglji~nog dioksida tijekom proteklog stolje}a izazvane izgaranjem fosilnih goriva. Uzimaju}i u obzir ukupnu svjetsku proizvodnju ~elika od vi{e nego 1,3 milijardu
tona, ~eli~na industrija proizvodi preko dvije milijarde tona CO2. Opisana su smanjenja emisija CO2 tijekom posljednjih 40 godina u proizvodnji ~elika industrijski razvijenih zemalja pobolj{anjem u~inkovitosti i strukturalnim promjenama. U postoje}im tehnologijama daljnje bitno smanjenje CO2 emisija ne}e biti mogu}e.
Radikalno smanjenje mogu}e je posti}i zamjenom ugljika vodikom u postupku izravne redukcije `eljezne
ruda~e. Provedena je analiza cijena i popratnog generiranja CO2 u proizvodnji vodika kao redukcijskog sredstva
iz razli~itih izvora.
Klju~ne rije~i: metalurgija, industrija ~elika, CO2 emisije, izravna redukcija `eljezne ruda~e
INTRODUCTION
In the production and processing of steel, the prices
of products and energy costs are strongly affected not
only by labour costs, but also by the cost of raw materials and reducing agents. This has been especially evident at the time of the present fast industrial development of the countries like China and India. To enhance
energy efficiency in the production of raw iron and steel,
and to apply the conventional technologies with maximum efficiency have become focal points of interest
worldwide.
In conditions of merciless economic competition the
introduction, in certain countries, of a new tax relative to
CO2 emissions has proved to be of crucial importance.
In steel production, the largest decrease in CO2 emissions is attainable by substitution of carbon for hydrogen as a reducing agent. This work aims to show a possible technological development of iron ore reduction by
hydrogen as well as its economic advantage in relation
to reduction by carbon.
TRENDS IN
INTERNATIONAL CO2 EMISSIONS
Global CO2 emissions caused by the burning of fossil
fuels to heat homes, to fuel vehicles, or to power the industry, have increased rapidly over the past century. Figure 1 shows that global CO2 emissions increased ten
times from 1900 to 2000 [1]. The rate of growth has been
particularly high over the past fifty years, although it has
slowed down to some extent in the past two decades.
Europe and North America were responsible for 87
% of global CO2 emissions at the beginning of the
twenty-first century, with Western Europe accounting
for 52 % and North America for 35 %. Over the century,
emissions increased more than three times in Western
Europe and nearly nine times in North America. However, the combined share of global emissions of the two
regions diminished to 41% at the end of the century, as
emissions from other continents increased much faster
having started from a low level. For instance, the Middle
Eastern countries, with CO2 emissions more than a thousand times higher than in 1900, contributed with 6 % of
global emissions. Central Asia (mainly China) contributed with 14 % of global emissions following an increase of six thousand times over the century.
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CONCLUSIONS
REFERENCES
[1]
[2]
[3]
Figure 5. Diagram of costCO2 generation in hydrogen
production from various energy sources [12]
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[4]
http://www.iea.org/.
http://cdiac.ornl.gov/trends/emis/.
S. [imok et al., Programov prostriedky pre tvorbu dokumentov, tabukove vpo~ty a sieov slu`by, Elfa s.r.o.,
Ko{ice, (2000), 91103.
The annual IISI publication World Steel in Figures, 2007,
http:/worldsteel.org.
METALURGIJA 48 (2009) 3, 193-197
[5]
[11] Midrex Technologies Inc. ''IBH HBI DRI Melting Seminar'', held in conjuction with 30th SEASI, Conference, Singapure, May 2001.
[12] K. H. Tacke, R. Steffen, Stahl und Eisen, 124 (2004) 4,
4552.
[13] R. Wurster, W. Zittel, Hydrogen energy, Workshop Energy
Technologies to Reduce CO2 Emission in Europe, Energieonderzoek Centrum Nederland, 1112 April 1994, Petten,
Netherlands.
[14] Hryn, J. N., Electrolytic reduction of iron ore, AISI's CO2
Breakthrough Program Concept Discovery Workshop, 8.
Sept. 2003, Cleveland, Ohio.
Note: The responsible translator for English language is prof. Neda Bani}
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