SOEC HYDROGEN INTEGRATION AND CIRCULAR USE IN STEELMAKING PROCESS

Facing the urgent challenges of climate change and the necessity for a transition towards more sustainable and efficient energy systems, the industrial sector, with the steel industry at the forefront, is compelled to significantly cut energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The steel sector, accounting for 9% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions and consuming an average of ~5.2 MWh of primary energy per ton of steel produced, is at the heart of this challenge. The SYRIUS project, spanning 54 months, aims to revolutionize this landscape by integrating a 4.2 MWel Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell (SOEC) for producing 100 kg/h of green hydrogen into a real Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) plant. Hydrogen will feed a 280tsteel/h – 84 MWth slab reheating furnace, demonstrating the potential to reduce steel reheating process CO2 emissions by 5,600 t/year during the project and up to 100% with full hydrogen feeding. By generating steam through furnace off-gas heat recovery, implementing by-product oxygen recovery in the furnace (allowing additional savings of 430 tCO2/year in SYRIUS and of 2% fuel input in future expansion) and analysing options for water recycle, SYRIUS seeks to minimize external energy consumption and sets industrial circularity at the project core. With a viable business case centred on process integration, SYRIUS aims to strongly enhance market opportunities in the short to medium term by driving industrial green hydrogen costs below 2.2 €/kg, surpassing the SRIA targets for 2030. By preserving end-product quality at competitive costs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, lowering hydrogen costs, and creating new direct and indirect jobs, SYRIUS will play a pivotal role in enhancing the circularity of the EU steel sector. A first-of-its-kind TRL7 plant, ready to be scaled up, extended to other industries, and replicated globally thanks to the unique geographic coverage of the technology providers in the SYRIUS consortium, will showcase innovation in action.