Aim: Compare the life cycle impacts of steel production using two alternatives processes for iron production – now and future (until 2050) Objectives: 1. Identify potentials for reducing future CO2 emissions in steelmaking 2. Identify main drivers for reaching those CO2 reduction potentials

1. Comparative life cycle assessment of primary
steel with hydrogen direct reduced iron and
optimized blast furnace processes
Michael Samsu Koroma, Nils Brown, Maarten Messagie, Thierry Coosemans,
Giuseppe Cardellini
LCM2019
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3rd September, 2019

2. Motivation
• Steel –
• is almost everywhere
• Central to making our communities more sustainable
• Steel is recyclable
• Vital to the global circular economy
• Global emissions
• 7% and 9% of direct emissions from the use of fossil fuel
• 6.7% of total world CO2 emissions
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Michael Samsu Koroma|VUB | MOBI

3. Aim of study
Aim:
• Compare the life cycle impacts of steel production using two
alternatives processes for iron production – now and future (until
2050)
Objectives:
• Identify potentials for reducing future CO2 emissions in
steelmaking
• Identify main drivers for reaching those CO2 reduction potentials
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Michael Samsu Koroma|VUB | MOBI

4. Methodology
• A prospective cradle-to-gate LCA
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Michael Samsu Koroma|VUB | MOBI
Alternative processes:
• blast furnace
• hydrogen direct reduction
(H-DR)
Three energy scenarios:
• Current case
• Moderate RES
• High RES

5. Methodology
• key assumptions – energy scenarios
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Michael Samsu Koroma|VUB | MOBI
EU electricity mix
(OECD/IEA, 2017)
Energy efficiency
potential (IPCC,
2014)
current status as of 2017
26% renewable energy sources (RES)
Current
case
50% renewable energy sources in 2050
20% improvement in energy efficiency potential
Moderate
RES
90% renewable energy sources in 2050
35% improvement in energy efficiency potential
High RES

6. Methodology
• key assumptions – alternative processes
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Michael Samsu Koroma|VUB | MOBI
Current status
Current EU electricity mix
Reference blast
furnace
Reduction in coke and coal demand (NEEDS, 2009)
Scenario electricity mix
Optimized blast
furnace - 2050
Hydrogen production by electrolysis (HYBRIT, 2018)
Scenario electricity mix
Hyrogen direct
reduction

7. Methodology
cradle-to-gate
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Raw
material
supply
Emissions
Transport Production Use End of life
Waste
Resources
Energy
System boundry
Not considered in this study
Indicators:
• Global warming potential
• Cumulative energy
demand
Functional unit – 1 kg of :
• Crude steel
• Low alloyed steel
Database:
• Ecoinvent v3.1
Michael Samsu Koroma|VUB | MOBI

8. Results – Crude steel
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Michael Samsu Koroma|VUB | MOBI
1823.3
854.4
554.6
1912.3
1312.9 1305.9
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
Current - 2017 Moderate RES - 2050 High RES - 2050
Global warming potential
H2 direct reduction (H-DR) Blast furnace (BF)
-5%
-55%
-71%
-31%
-32%
gCO2eq/kg
of steel
Potential for reducing future CO2 emissions

9. Results – Crude steel
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Michael Samsu Koroma|VUB | MOBI
gCO2eq/kg
of steel
Main drivers for reaching CO2 reduction potentials - Electricity mix Vs Energy efficiency
1823.3
661.4
1312.1
554.6
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
Electricity mix Energy
efficiency
measures
Combined
effect
Current - 2017 High RES - 2050
GWP - H2 direct reduction
-63.7%
-28%
1912.3 1886.9
1308.3 1305.9
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
Electricity mix Energy
efficiency
measures
Combined
effect
Current - 2017 High RES - 2050
GWP - Blast furnace
-1.3%
-31.6%

10. Results – Crude steel
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Michael Samsu Koroma|VUB | MOBI
MJ/kg
of steel
Hydrogen direct reduction is energy intensive
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
H2 direct reduction
(H-DR)
Blast furnace (BF) H2 direct reduction
(H-DR)
Blast furnace (BF) H2 direct reduction
(H-DR)
Blast furnace (BF)
Current - 2017 Moderate RES - 2050 High RES 2050
Cummulative Energy demand
Non renewable, fossil Non-renewable, biomass Non-renewable, nuclear
Renewable, biomass Renewable, water Renewable, wind, solar, geothermal
-15%
-34%

11. Results – low alloyed steel
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Michael Samsu Koroma|VUB | MOBI
GWP
gCO2eq/kg
of steel
Potential for reducing future CO2 emissions
2496.1
1445.3
1119.5
2618.3
1945 1908.2
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
Current - 2017 Moderate RES - 2050 High RES 2050
Global warming potential
H2 direct reduction (H-DR) Blast furnace (BF)
-5%
-45%
-57%

12. Results – Crude Vs low alloyed
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Michael Samsu Koroma|VUB | MOBI
gCO2eq/kg
of steel
Added burden due to embodied CO2 emissions in alloying elements
1823.3
854.4
554.6
2496.1
1445.3
1119.5
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
Current - 2017 Moderate RES - 2050 High RES - 2050
Global warming potential
H2 direct reduction - Crude H2 direct reduction - low alloyed
27%
41%
50%

13. Conclusions
• Hydrogen direct reduction has huge potential to reduce CO2 emissions
• Main drivers for CO2 mitigation includes:
1. Reduce grid carbon intensity
• integrate high share of renewables
2. Reduce resource consumption
• energy efficiency measures
• Reduce embedded CO2 emissions in iron ore and limestone
• Reduce embodied CO2 emissions in alloying elements (e.g. nickel,
chromium, molybdenum) to further reduce GWP in low-alloy steel
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Michael Samsu Koroma|VUB | MOBI

14. Thank you!
Questions?
Michael Samsu KOROMA
mkoroma@vub.be
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Michael Samsu Koroma|VUB | MOBI

15. References
HYBRIT, 2017. HYBRIT, Fossil-Free Steel - Summary of Findings from
HYBRIT Pre-Feasibility Study 2016–2017.
IPCC, 2014. Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of
Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report, IPCC. IPCC,
Geneva, Switzerland.
NEEDS, 2008. Deliverable D15.1: LCA of Background Processes.
OECD/IEA, 2017. World Energy Outlook-2017 IEA FULL.
Michael Samsu Koroma
VUB | MOBI
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