Greenifying Steelmaking/Decarbonisation of Steel Industry
Q. Context:
·
According
to new research,Hydrogen is a
crucial part of the world’s plans to
greenify its manufacturing and
automobile industries as a
fuel whose production and use
needn’t emit carbon.
·
But in the
steelmaking industry, hydrogen can also be used instead of carbon in an
important chemical reaction that contributes to 5-7% of the global
greenhouse-gas emissions and 11% of carbon dioxide emissions.
Q. What is Decarbonization?
· Decarbonisation
is the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions through the use of low carbon
power sources, achieving a lower output of greenhouse gasses into the
atmosphere.
· Decarbonisation’ tends to refer to the
process of reducing ‘carbon intensity’, lowering the amount of greenhouse gas
emissions produced by the burning of fossil fuels.
Q. What is India’s status?
· India is
the world’s second-largest steelmaker,
having produced 118.2 million tonnes in 2021.
· Making one tonne of steel releases 1.8 tonnes of
carbon dioxide, making the sector’s decarbonisation plans an integral part
of the country’s ability to achieve its climate commitments.
Q.
What is the method used?
· Strong
steel consists of a tiny amount – less than 1% – of carbon. To achieve this
mix, iron oxide is heated with coke (a form of coal with high carbon content)
at 1,700 C inside a blast furnace.
· The carbon
reacts with oxygen to form carbon dioxide, leaving iron with around 4% carbon
behind. This iron is remelted and oxygen is blown through it, producing more carbon dioxide and reducing
the amount of carbon in the iron to a desirable level.
· The blast furnace
ironmaking process is the predominant primary metal production process,
with the carbon emissions accounting for approximately 90% of the total value
of the entire steelmaking route
Q. Way Forward?
· The
transition to a low-carbon world requires a transformation in the way we
manufacture iron andsteel. There is no single solution to CO2-free steelmaking,
and a broad portfolio of technological optionsis required, to be deployed
alone, or in combination as local circumstances permit.
· Currently,
multiple hydrogen-based steelmaking technologies are under development. A
promising one is shaft furnace hydrogen direct reduction, which uses clean
hydrogen as the oxygen-removal agent. With some fine-tuning, it is expected to be able to reduce carbon
dioxide emissions by up to 91%.
|
What
is hydrogen-based reduction?
· Direct reduction of iron is the chemical removal (reduction) of
oxygen from iron ore in its solid form. The iron used in the steelmaking
process is currently chemically reduced from iron ore through the use of
fossil resources – natural gas or coal. This process is known as Direct Reduced Ironmaking (DRI). · Carbon combines with the oxygen in the iron ore, producing
metallic iron and a carbon-rich process gas, according to the following
simplified chemical reaction: 2Fe2O3 +
3C -> 4Fe + 3CO2 · It is also possible to reduce iron ore using hydrogen instead of
carbon; in this case the waste gas produced is water, as per the following
reactions: Fe2O3 +
3H2 -> 2Fe + 3H2O , FeO +H2 -> Fe + H2O |
***Prelims
Special ***
Environmental impact of steel production
·
Iron
ore is the world’s third most produced commodity by volume - after crude oil
and coal - and the second most traded commodity - only beaten by
crude oil.
·
The mining of iron ore is highly energy
intensive and causes air pollution in the form of nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide from
diesel generators, trucks and other equipment.
· The mining of iron ore also causes water pollution of heavy metals and acid that drains from the mines. Acid drainage can go on for thousands of years after the mining activities have stopped.
***Prelims Special Table***
|
Test Yourself:
Q17.Which of the following is/are pollutants
from steel industries: 1.
Oxides of Sulphur 2.
Oxides of Nitrogen 3.
Carbon Monoxides 4.
Particulate Matter Which
of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? a)
1 Only b)
2 and 3 Only c)
1,2 and 3 d)
All of the above
Answer D,All of the above.
Q18. In the ‘Index of Eight Core Industries’,
which one of the following is given the highest weight? (Prelims2015) (a) Coal production (b) Electricity generation (c) Fertilizer production (d) Steel production
Ans: (b)
Q19. In India, the steel production industry
requires the import of (Prelims2015) (a) saltpetre (b) rock phosphate (c) coking coal (d) All of the above
Ans: (c)
Q20. Which of the following are some
important pollutants released by steel industry in India? (Prelims2014)
1. Oxides of sulphur
2. Oxides of nitrogen
3. Carbon monoxide
4. Carbon dioxide
Select the correct answer using the code
given below:
(a) 1, 3 and 4 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 4 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Ans: (d)
Q21. Steel slag can be the material for which
of the following? (Prelims2020)
1. Construction of base road
2. Improvement of agricultural soil
3. Production of cement
Select the correct answer using the code
given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Ans: (d) Mains
Q4. Account for the present location of iron
and steel industries away from the source of raw material, by giving
examples. (2020)
Q5. Account for the change in the spatial
pattern of the Iron and Steel industry in the world. (2014) |
