Posted on 23 Dec 2024
Nippon Steel Corporation has achieved 43% CO2 emission reduction in a test furnace using hydrogen instead of coal, reaching the development goal ahead of schedule, Kallanish learns.
The company, Japan’s largest steelmaker, claims that it is the first one in the world to achieve CO2 emission reduction of over 40% in a hydrogen-based blast furnace.
The test furnace is located at the East Nippon Works Kimitsu Area, with an inner volume of just 12 cubic metres. The CO2 reduction result achieved in 2022 was 22%, followed by 33% in 2023.
Hydrogen-based blast furnace is one of three processes being tested by the company to reduce emissions in steelmaking. The other two are hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI) and high-grade steel production in large-size electric arc furnaces.
“Nippon Steel will continue to develop technologies that reduce CO2 emissions from the steelmaking process by more than 50%, including the development of scale-up technology, and accelerate efforts aimed at practical use in large blast furnaces,” Nippon Steel adds.
Under its Carbon Neutral Vision 2050, the steelmaker plans to cut CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030 compared to the 2013 baseline, and achieve carbon neutrality in 2050.
The carbon reduction target of large blast furnaces is 50% or more. Equipment installation of No.2 BF at the East Nippon Works Kimitsu Area, which is approximately 400 times larger than the test furnace, started in February last year. Nippon Steel plans to conduct demonstration tests in fiscal 2026.
Source:Kallanish
