About

Iron ore and scrap as raw materials are forming the base of iron and steel production. Due to the transition from carbon-based iron and steel production to green steel production with hydrogen (H2), most current production units such as sinter plant, blast furnace (BF) and basic oxygen furnace (BOF) will be replaced by the direct reduction process (DR process) followed by the electric arc furnace (EAF). As a result, the current recycling routes for iron-containing by-products (e.g. mill scale, dust, sludge) will be cut off and the demand for high quality direct reduction pellets and high-quality scrap will rise, becoming a critical factor. New by-products from the gas treatment of the DR process and iron pellets sieving will emerge.

The specific potential of TransZeroWaste project is to develop new recycling-technologies for iron-containing by-products including those of new green-steel-production-routes of low quality ores. These scrap equivalent materials have a volume of up to 9 Mt/a in Europe, currently recycled via CO2-intensive BF-BOF-route with sinter plants, that provides separation of disturbing impurities. As green steel process routes provide neither their recycling nor sufficient impurity separation, alternative technologies like e.g.

TransZeroWaste-De-oiling by magnet-supported hydrometallurgy

TransZeroWaste-low-CO2-cold-briquetting and -pelletising

TransZeroWaste-hot microwave pelletising with reduction Potential

are developed to higher TRL to ensure sufficient supply of raw materials in iron and steel production, even in the case of increasing demands.

So far, knowledge of requirements for reuse of these materials in the DR- and EAF- and downstream processes and their mutual influencing factors is lacking or still on low TRL. TransZeroWaste further develops these technologies including pilot plants at industrial partners sites. Supported by digital tool development for transition including Material Flow Analysis, Life Cycle Analysis, environmental and economic indicators for higher sustainability performances and a decision support platform.

TransZeroWaste and its Innovative Actions address the following key objectives:

• Upgrading low-grade iron ore by combining it with iron-rich by-products.

• Development of innovative techniques to produce high-quality pre-material for decarbonised future production routes.

• Separation of disturbing components from byproducts to replace scrap.

• Development of the technological basis and digital tools supporting the transition towards.

• Zero waste in the European steel industry.

All objectives are clearly related to the objectives of the Clean Steel Partnership. 

The developed TransZeroWaste technologies aim for the upgrade and use of low-quality iron ores and iron-containing by-products, for separation and reduction of impurities and potentials for the valorisation of low-quality scrap-equivalent and high recycling rate. Their further development will contribute to climate-neutral and circular industrial value chains supporting transition towards low-CO2-DR and -EAF production routes, their recycling potential for lower use of critical raw materials and the implementation of energy-efficient processes.

Development of a decision-support platform modelling sustainability performances of steel production pathways supports the digital transition of the manufacturing sector. The project outcomes will thus help increase the resilience and competitiveness of the steel sector in Europe. As transformation to low-CO2 DR- and –EAF routes and related shutdown of CO2-intensive processes providing a high recycling rate like sinter plant, BF and BOF, the recycling and useability of low-grade ore and scrap would equally be cut off. Therefore, the TransZeroWaste-technologies aim to provide solutions on TRL 8 to fill the gaps for recycling and upgrading for ore- and scrap-based green steel production. Considering sinter plant operation generating 161-368 kg CO2/t sinter (BAT), the replacement of sinter plant with low carbon technologies for the addressed 27 Mt/a raw materials could save up to 4.3 – 9.9 Mt CO2/a. Replacement by TransZeroWaste-technologies could provide the otherwise cut-off of recycling and upgrading as well as providing additional potential for low-CO2-zinc-recovery.