Under the condition of using solid carbon fuel (coke + pulverised coal) in conventional blast furnace, reducing carbon fuel consumption is the most direct and effective measure to reduce CO2 emission. In the iron and steel industry, by around 2030, the fuel ratio of blast furnace should be generally reduced to below 520kg/t; the fuel ratio of some advanced blast furnaces should be reduced to below 480kg/t; and the fuel ratio of the leading blast furnaces will be reduced to an even lower level. In addition, the ironmaking plants should focus on the charge structure,fuel consumption, furnace operation and equipment maintenance, that will effectively improve the carbon emission of the blast furnace production process.
- Enhance the research into concentrate technology, develop and establish an advanced furnace charge framework utilizing pelletized ore, and achieve a reduction in carbon usage and pollutant emissions throughout the pre-iron stage as well as the entire ironmaking process.
- Apply the re-innovation of essential technologies, including high-temperature air and oxygen-enriched coal injection, to diminish carbon fuel usage in blast furnaces; proactively implement cutting-edge technologies like hydrogen-enriched fuel injection, top gas recycling, high-oxygen smelting, H2-CO synergistic reduction, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS).
- Enhance the study of blast furnace operational principles and elevate the management of large-scale blast furnaces. Implement an integrated Cyber-Physical System (CPS) and digital synchronization for the iron pre-processing stage. Develop a comprehensive intelligent control platform that unifies the material yard, sintering, pelletizing, coking, and blast furnace iron-making processes. This platform will facilitate intelligent collaboration and unified oversight across various stages, ultimately boosting the efficiency of the entire production workflow.
- Strengthen the maintenance of the furnace body in the blast furnace operation process, extend the life of the blast furnace, and continuously stabilize and improve the service stability and life cycle of the equipment in the pre-iron process.
- Combining with the characteristics of iron ore powder processing, develop new furnace charge technology, apply low-silicon pellet ore or low-silicon sintered ore, so as to reduce the amount of furnace slag to 200kg/t~300kg/t, and the fuel ratio to 470kg/t~500kg/t, to reduce the carbon emission.
