University of Lincoln

Green Steel for Change

This project is concerned with developing a sustainable alternative for metallurgical coal for green steel production.

The steel sector is a core pillar of the modern economy, but over the last decade it has been facing increased environmental and climate pressure to lower its carbon footprint while remaining economically competitive. Decarbonising this sector is challenging but key for achieving climate goals since the sector is currently responsible for about 8% of global final energy demand and 7% of energy sector CO2 emissions.

Biochar as by-product of feedstock pyrolysis has potential to provide a replacement for coal in iron making process. Agriculture biomass feedstock from sustainable re-wetted low peatland is a biochar source with net CO2 emission reduction potential nearly an order of magnitude greater than the benefit from coal replacement. The huge additional benefit is due to the change of land use, where studies have shown up to 25t CO2e per hectare year reduction in peat degradation carbon release.

A combined approach has the potential to reduce UK net emissions by 25-30t per 1 tonne of coal used within the steel industry.

Top 3 Learnings

1. We must invest, innovate, and create resilient sustainable systems to achieve Net-Zero goals.
2. We believe agriculture sector can play a crucial role in achieving industrial decarbonisation objectives.
3. We believe collaborations among policymakers, industry, and academia are critical to achieve sustainability in complex systems.