UK steel industry embraces electric arc furnaces in major shift

In line with the UK government's target of a 95% emission reduction from steelmaking by 2050, the UK steel industry is undergoing a significant transformation, with a growing number of companies adopting electric arc furnaces (EAFs) over traditional blast furnaces.

EAFs traditionally faced limitations in producing all steel grades due to challenges with recycled scrap. Impurities like copper and nitrogen could negatively impact the final product, and proper segregation was crucial to avoid contamination. This limitation was particularly problematic for products requiring high formability, like flat steel products.

Innovation paves the way for high-quality EAF steel

According to a recent document published by UK Steel (the trade association for the UK steel industry), ‘recent innovations have shown that EAFs can produce a vast range of steel products, even some previously only produced by integrated blast furnaces’.
One approach involves mixing controlled amounts of pig iron or Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) with the scrap during the EAF melting process. This dilutes impurities and allows for a wider range of high-quality steel products. Additionally, stricter scrap sorting procedures and improved technology can minimize contamination from the outset. 

These advancements are already proving their worth. Some UK EAF producers are successfully utilizing EAFs to create high-quality steel for demanding sectors like aerospace, where even trace amounts of impurities are unacceptable. This is achieved through meticulous scrap management techniques. Research and development are further pushing the boundaries. For instance, Swansea University is leading a program exploring cutting-edge sorting and processing technology to minimize unwanted elements in scrap steel. These efforts solidify EAFs as a viable and adaptable solution for the UK steel industry.

The challenge of a secure scrap supply

That said, the road to Net Zero for the steel industry hinges on a secure and sustainable scrap supply. The UK - the world's largest scrap exporter per capita! - generates approximately 10-11 million tonnes of scrap steel annually, with 80% currently exported to developing countries like Turkey, Egypt, India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. This presents a challenge. As the industry undergoes this radical transformation, scrap steel will be critical. Anticipating a surge in demand due to the nation's growing shift to an electrical steel industry, the UK Steel trade body advocates for policy intervention to ensure the UK retains a sufficient amount of high-quality scrap steel to meet the growing needs of its EAF producers, while promoting a more sustainable and circular steel industry in the UK. A plea that closely resembles the recent statements made by Feralpi President Pasini regarding the European Union.

Picture by worldsteel.org

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