FullH2Reheat
Demonstrator of industrial transformation with hydrogen for HAV long products rolling mills (FullH2Reheat)
Objectives
The transition from natural gas to hydrogen firing will be demonstrated in the soaking zone of the ArcelorMittal Belval reheating furnace. CRM will study the possible degradation of the material due to hydrogen firing, hydrogen embrittlement on sheet-piles & section products. Diffusible hydrogen content will be determined by TDA and the hydrogen embrittlement effect will be appraised by four-point bending tests.
Description
The EU Steel Industry (EU-SI) currently accounts for 221 Mt GHG emissions annually (including both direct and indirect emissions). This corresponds to 5.7% of total EU emissions. On its road for decarbonisation, the European steel industry is expected to invest in research and development, rethink its production processes and deliver substantial emission reductions to stay competitive and contribute to climate neutrality by 2050. Steelmaking activities are done through two main routes: the integrated route with Blast Furnace-Basic Oxygen Furnace and the Electrical Arc Furnace (EAF) route. The last one presents sustainable advantages as it emits less CO2 compared to the first one. However, to reach carbon neutrality for the EAF route, mainly dedicated to long products for now, efforts must be pursued mainly on scope II emissions reduction at the upstream-EAF part (green renewable electricity), while reducing scope I emissions at the reheating furnace (downstream).
The reheating furnace is used for the re-heating of steel semi-products casted into billets, blooms, and beam blanks geometries; these semis being used for long products production. In line with this context, the FULLH2REHEAT project approach will enable a totally innovative way to reduce steelmaking plants CO2 emissions by addressing the ones from the reheating furnace. To do so, the project foresees to demonstrate at industrial scale (TRL8) at the ArcelorMittal Luxembourg Long Products Mill 2 in Belval, Luxembourg, an innovative combustion system working with Hydrogen instead of Methane (CH4) to produce, without any quality impact, High Added Value (HAV) long products such as sheet piles, rails, heavy sections, or merchant bars.
Additionally, the project will include the development of digital tools that will enable a continuous process monitoring and optimization. The project will also further pave the way for a wide replication of the solution: full industrialization in several plants of the ArcelorMittal group and beyond, and transfer to other types of long or flat products is anticipated.
Partners
Funding Bodies
