Tata Steel Europe, a part of India-based steelmaker
Tata Steel, has announced that it is starting its second campaign for the testing of ULCOS (ultra-low carbon dioxide (CO2)
steelmaking) HIsarna technology. The test campaign to make liquid iron using the new technology will commence in two weeks' time.
The first HIsarna test campaign, in spring 2011, proved that a plant using the breakthrough technology can operate in practice, not merely in theory, with the engineers succeeding in producing liquid iron. The second campaign will last about six weeks, after which the results will be evaluated.
Before liquid iron can be produced in a blast furnace, steelmakers' raw materials have to be suitably processed: fine iron ore has to be converted into sinter or pellet, and coking coal into coke. HIsarna technology aims to eliminate these costly preparatory processes. If it succeeds, the new process could result in the gradual phasing out of the preparatory processes, reducing carbon emissions by 20 percent in 10 to 20 years from now.
HIsarna is an initiative of the ULCOS consortium of European steelmakers, whose efforts represent the world's most advanced attempt to commercialize low-carbon iron-making technologies. In addition, mining companies Rio Tinto and LKAB and several research institutes are working on HIsarna. The project has received financial support from the
European Union and the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs.