On December 18, 2021, the inaugural ceremony of Global Low-carbn Metallurgy Trial Project was held at Baowu Xinjiang Bayi Iron & Steel Company, kicking off the third stage of the hydrogen-rich carbon recycling blast furnace. 

Green Low-carbon Metallurgy Solution for Global Steel Producers

The hydrogen-rich carbon recycling project contracted by Sinosteel MECC is a showpiece of China Baowu Global Low-carbon Metallurgical Innovation Base. The reduction in carbon emissions could rise to 30% eventually and efficiency of the furnace will be substantially improved. 

The second stage have achieved the gas purification and pressurization, cold gas injection, blast furnace oxygen enrichment, and hydrogen-rich smelting. The blast furnace is a highly efficient reactor, which can provide the cleanest raw materials for steelmaking. 

The hydrogen-rich carbon cycle blast furnace technology makes maximum use of the chemical energy of carbon, and takes the direction of reducing the reductant ratio of the blast furnace. In addition, with the technical measures of green electric heating and green raw materials, it is possible to achieve substantial carbon reduction in the blast furnace process. With the development of oxygen production technology and the substantial reduction of oxygen production cost, if the blast furnace realizes full oxygen blast, then the blast furnace gas can be easily separated from CO gas. After the recovery and utilization of CO, the remaining high concentration CO and H 2O are reused in the blast furnace to reduce iron ore, which is called carbon cycle. With the gas cycle, the consumption of fossil energy in the blast furnace process can be effectively reduced.