Improving energy efficiency and flexibility of steel reheating by partial electrification

forthcoming

SUPERHEAT develops, integrates and demonstrates a novel solution for CO2-neutral steel reheating for hot rolling processes with improved energy efficiency and enhanced energy source flexibility. The proposed solution supports the energy transition pathway of steel industry allowing for an incremental and high efficient share between chemical energy and electrical energy into the reheating process. Assuming the availability of green electricity and H2 for a CO2-neutral reheating scenario, the SUPERHEAT solution has a high potential of saving energy of up to 6.2% and fuel of up to 28.9% and reducing the CO2 emissions by up to 100%, allowing an increased flexible electricity share of up to 24.2% compared to the reference process. The SUPERHEAT solution allows for an incremental adaptation from fossil fuels to 100% green H2 and green electricity creating a unique kind of flexibility never demonstrated before. Furthermore, the SUPERHEAT solution was designed to not affect the core product quality indicators of the process – the heating curve, the temperature homogeneity of the products and the surface quality. The flexibility and sustainability of the new technology concerning potential changes in the internal and external flows of energy and materials are analysed both for stainless and carbon steel thanks to an industrial demonstration and a virtual approach. A demonstrator at TRL 8 is realised in a reheating furnace at a stainless steel plant followed by a virtual full retrofit with the SUPERHEAT solution in the same furnace and for a carbon steel reheating furnace. The solution aims to showcase the technical possibilities for decarbonising the reheating processes for hot rolling in the steel industry. SUPERHEAT will pave the way for the wider industrial implementation by proving technical, economic and environmental viability of the solution based on industrial trial data combined with numerical modelling and simulation.