H2STEEL Green H2 and circular bio-coal from biowaste for cost-competitive sustainable Steel

Summary

The achievement of the Net-zero emissions target established by the European Commission is huge challenge which could not be achieved without re-thinking the conventional route (materials and energy chains): in this context, steel mills and metallurgical plants pose a significant challenge to reaching net-zero carbon emissions. The H2STEEL project investigates an innovative, disruptive solution to convert wet waste streams into green Hydrogen, Carbon and Critical Raw Materials. The proposed innovative solution aims at supporting the green transition of one of the most hard-to-abate industrial sector: metallurgy. In particular, H2STEEL combines the conversion of biowaste and bioCH4 through innovative catalyzed pyrolysis with chemical leaching, to fully convert biowastes into Green Hydrogen, Green Carbon, and recovery of Critical (inorganic) Raw Materials. Biomethane pyrolysis is carried out in a brand new, ad-hoc designed, and proof-of-concept reactor, on a bed of catalyst, very resistant to temperature and contaminants: this will enhance the efficiency of the methane cracking step to generate Green Hydrogen. Using a newly designed reactor employing the novel catalyst, biomethane can be converted to green hydrogen in a low-cost way. Derived materials can then be used in steelmaking processes.This approach generates a net GHG reduction, EU ETS (Emission Trading Scheme) compliant.

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Web resources:	https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101070741
Start date:	01-10-2022
End date:	30-09-2025
Total budget - Public funding:	2 368 910,00 Euro - 2 368 910,00 Euro

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Original description

The achievement of the Net-zero emissions target established by the European Commission is huge challenge which could not be achieved without re-thinking the conventional route (materials and energy chains). H2STEEL project proposes an innovative, disruptive solution to convert wet waste streams into green Hydrogen, Carbon and Critical Raw Materials. The proposed innovative solution aims at supporting the green transition of one of the most hard-to-abate industrial sector: metallurgy. In particular, H2STEEL combines the conversion of biowaste and bioCH4 through innovative catalyzed pyrolysis with chemical leaching, to fully convert biowastes into Green Hydrogen, Green Carbon (biocoal), and recovery of Critical (inorganic) Raw Materials. Biomethane pyrolysis is carried out in a brand new, ad-hoc designed, and proof-of-concept reactor, on a bed of biocoal made from pre-carbonized biowastes, i.e. on a very cheap fully carbon-based catalyst, very resistant to temperature and contaminants: this will enhance the efficiency of the methane cracking step to generate Green Hydrogen. As new solid carbon from methane cracking is generated on the biocoal surface, thus reducing the performance of the catalyst, new biocoal-catalyst is inserted in the reactor, while the spent biocoal is removed: the continuous renewal of the catalyst is feasible thanks to its low cost, and to the market value of the spent catalyst. This material, fully bio-carbon based, is then used in steel-making as a substitute of metallurgical (fossil) coke, generating a net GHG reduction, EU ETS (Emission Trading Scheme) compliant. The regeneration of the spent catalyst thus becomes unnecessary, as the biocoal is used in a downstream process, avoiding the release of CO2 in atmosphere (as it happens in the SMR process or in most of the catalysts regeneration steps).