Swedish special steelmaker Ovako has successfully tested the use of hydrogen to heat steel, opening up further possibilities to reduce the carbon footprint of the steelmaking industry, Kallanish Energy reports.
The test was done within a full-scale trial launched by the company together with its partner Linde Gas. The partners used hydrogen instead of liquefied petroleum gas to re-heat steel before rolling at the group’s mill in Hofors, Sweden.
“This is a major development for the steel industry. It is the first time that hydrogen has been used to heat steel in an existing production environment,” said Göran Nyström, EVP group marketing & technology. “Thanks to the trial, we know that hydrogen can be used simply and flexibly, with no impact on steel quality, which would mean a very large reduction in the carbon footprint.”
Ovako believes it can implement the use of hydrogen in combustion at all its rolling mills, and is now evaluating investment options to roll out the scheme.
“Our estimate is that an initial investment would save 20,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, and that is just the beginning,” said Anders Lugnet, group technical specialist, energy & furnace technology at Ovako.
