BioCoDe4Steel

It is commonly acknowledged that the integrated steelwork route emits about 1.9 tCO2 for each ton of crude steel produced. The biggest share of CO2 emissions arises from the blast furnace, where fossil coke and coal are used as main sources of energy and reducing conditions. In BIOCODE, laboratory/pilot tests and an industrial experimental campaign will be conducted at the integrated steelwork of Acciaierie d'Italia (Taranto, Italy). The trials will aim to use a coal blend with a 10 % replacement of biochar, obtained from locally sourced biomass; the study will assess the quality of the blend, considering the solid (tar) and gaseous (gas coke) by-products, and the quality of the steel. The impact of the biocoke produced on the blast furnace process will be also evaluated. Moreover, the thermal pre-treatment of biomass, will produce a syngas that can be used in other production areas of the steel plants. In controlled process conditions, the heavy tars of biomass could be converted into light hydrocarbons, char, ash, and syngas (H2, CO, CO2, CH4).