Assessment of opportunities for CO2 capture at iron and steel mills: An Australian perspective

AbstractThe iron and steel industry is one of the largest energy consuming manufacturing industries in the world, accounting for approximately 4.5% of the total world CO2 emissions and over 2% of the total CO2 emissions in Australia. Although significant work has been undertaken by the industry to reduce the levels of CO2 emissions through initiatives such as increasing energy efficiency, recycling of by-product fuels, maximizing the recycling of scrap steel and increasing the use of renewable energy, for the industry to achieve further reductions in CO2 emissions it will need to implement new or breakthrough technologies including carbon capture and storage (CCS). The objective of this study is to assess the cost and feasibility of implementing CO2 capture at existing steel making facilities in Australia. The costs of capturing CO2 from existing direct atmospheric emission points at an integrated steel mill and scrap mini mill are estimated. The results indicate that carbon capture might reduce the CO2 emissions at a 5 million tonne plant by over 7.5 million tonnes annually at a cost of A$77 to A$100 per tonne CO2 avoided. At a mini mill, CO2 emissions could be reduced by 0.1 tonnes annually at a cost of over A$250 per tonne CO2 avoided. Based on current technology, carbon capture would require a carbon price of at least A$65 per tonne emitted to be economically attractive