"Using hydrogen instead of coal" to make iron, how much do you know about hydrogen metallurgy technology?

In July 2020, Baowu carried out a hydrogen-rich carbon cycle oxygen blast furnace process experiment in Baogang, and connected the decarbonized gas to the hydrogen-rich carbon cycle blast furnace. Compared with the access to the decarbonized gas of the European metallurgical furnace, the ton iron fuel ratio of the hydrogen-rich carbon cycle blast furnace decreased by nearly 45 kg, and the emission reduction of CO230% compared with the traditional blast furnace. In July 2021, Bachang's hydrogen-rich carbon cycle blast furnace has completed the oxygen enrichment target of 50% of the second stage (35% of the first stage), and the later stage of Bachang's hydrogen-rich carbon cycle blast furnace will achieve the goal of full oxygen smelting through technology upgrading and optimization. In January 2021, Baowu announced that it would achieve carbon peak in 2023, reduce carbon by 30% in 2035, and achieve carbon neutrality in 2050.

(2) Hesteel Group hydrogen rich utilization project

On November 22, 2019, Hesteel Group and Italy Tenion Group signed a memorandum of understanding, agreeing that the two sides would carry out in-depth cooperation in hydrogen metallurgy technology, use the world's most advanced hydrogen production and hydrogen reduction technology, and join hands with MCC Jingcheng to jointly develop and build the world's first 1.2 million tons of hydrogen metallurgy demonstration project, which would be applied to the transformation and upgrading project of Hesteel Xuansteel. In May 2021, Hesteel Xuangang Hydrogen energy development and utilization project demonstration project officially started construction. The project makes full use of the advantages of Zhangjiakou's national renewable energy demonstration zone to create an innovative development model of synergistic complementarity between "zero carbon" hydrogen production and hydrogen energy industry development that can be promoted and replicated. The new hydrogen reduction process developed by the project relies on independent and integrated innovation, adopts the model of combining production, learning and research, and the core technology is Tenova's Energiron-ZR (zero reforming) technology, which can replace the traditional blast furnace carbon metallurgy process, and is expected to reduce carbon by 60% per year.