Feasibility of biocarbon in steel production–challenges and benefits of value chain

Abstract

Biocarbons have been seen as a promising solution to mitigate emissions across various industries. One of the currently studied areas regarding the biocarbon usage is the steel industry, with high CO2 emissions. Therefore, it is essential to research more environmentally friendly ways to produce steel. Even in the more environmentally friendly EAF process, carbon is needed for steel carburizing and slag foaming, which is required for maintaining energy efficiency and protecting the furnace. In this paper, we discuss the future of steelmaking, where a critical issue is reducing CO2 emissions. As a research method, a case study was used. This article focuses primarily on the use of biocarbon in steelmaking through the electric arc furnace (EAF) route as a substitute for fossil coal and coke. However, biocarbon currently involves many challenges that must be addressed before large-scale industrial use, such as economic viability and its chemical and physical properties.