ASSESSMENT OF PROSPECTS FOR IMPROVING BLAST FURNACE TECHNOLOGY FOR CO2 EMISSIONS

Abstract

The blast furnace route remains the dominant technology for primary ironmaking; therefore, improving its environmental performance is a key challenge for the steel industry. This study presents a comprehensive assessment of technological measures aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions from blast furnace operation using an original total energy and exergy balance model developed at the Iron and Steel Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The influence of pulverized coal injection, hydrogen, natural gas, coke oven gas, metallic additives, hot blast temperature, heat losses and gas utilization efficiency on furnace performance and carbon footprint was investigated over a wide range of operating conditions. Attention was paid to the combined effects of hydrogen-
containing fuels and pulverized coal, as well as to operational constraints associated with raceway adiabatic flame temperature, oxygen enrichment requirements, top-gas temperature and the degree of direct reduction. The calculations demonstrate that different decarbonization measures provide significantly different environmental and economic effects. Among the investigated options, hydrogen injection and metallic burden additives exhibit the highest potential for reducing specific CO2 emissions, while improvements in gas utilization and thermal efficiency provide additional opportunities for lowering fuel consumption. The obtained results establish practical operating ranges for implementing low-carbon blast furnace technologies and may serve as a basis for evaluating  decarbonization strategies in existing ironmaking plants.