BIOmass for COkemaking DEcarbonization

ongoing

The decarbonization road has established since the Paris agreement signed on the March 2015 (COM n. 8 2015). Moreover, the steel industry represents an important economic pillar of the European economy. In 2020 crude steel production in the EU represents 7.6% (139.3 Mt) of the overall production globally (1,828.2 Mt). The production of iron and steel is a major contributor to EU greenhouse gas emissions. The steel sector represented 4% of all EU emissions in 2017, and 23% of the whole manufacturing industry. For this reason, iron and steel industries play a key role in reducing the CO2 emissions of the European Area, through the full decarbonization of steel plants thanks to the availability of green electricity, hydrogen, CCUS infrastructure, sustainable raw and secondary materials and alternative fuels. The main source of carbon dioxide in integrated steel plants is fossil coal, mainly used for metallurgical coke production. The scope of the BIOCODE project is the decarbonization of the industrial cokemaking process, replacing a fraction of the fossil coal coking mixture, with carbon-neutral biomass. This project aims to investigate, through experimental tests at different scales from the laboratory screening up to industrial scale trials. In addition, the influence of biomass introduction on environmental impact of the plant, process, products, and by-products. The BIOCODE project, beyond the objective of laying the foundations of a more green and sustainable industry, will enhance a local and European synergy between the agricultural and steel sectors, by promoting the local agricultural residues valorisation following circular and green economy principles in an industrial contest to be exploited in 2 different locations in 2 different Member States (MS).