Decarbonising high-energy industries with biomass and beyond

Key technologies for long-term industrial decarbonisation like hydrogen fuels and carbon capture aren't yet fully commercialised. However, industries must still advance decarbonisation strategies to reach net-zero emissions, despite these solutions being years from widespread adoption. How will they solve this challenge?

Cutting steelmaking emissions with electrification and biomass

The steel industry’s decarbonisation plans rely heavily on shifting away from traditional, fuel-based blast furnaces (BFs) to electric arc furnaces (EAFs), which operate on electricity. The transition to EAFs allows steel mills to reduce Scope 1 emissions significantly. The resulting Scope 2 emissions can then be reduced with the decarbonisation of the adjoining power grids, such as solar, wind, etc. However, this transition is expected to occur slowly over time as the BFs reach the end of their life cycles.

In the meantime, the industry is looking to employ carbon-neutral biomass-derived fuels, such as bio-coal and bio-coke, as drop-in replacements for fossil counterparts. Coupled with efficiency improvements, steel producers could reduce emissions by up to 25% by 2030, according to AFRY’s Decarbonisation Scenario for Steel.

Greater challenges ahead for the cement industry

The cement industry faces an even harder problem to solve, as its emissions have two major sources: The kilns used by cement producers require high amounts of heat, currently provided by fossil fuels, while the chemical reaction central to cement production also emits GHG during production:

CaCO3 (limestone) → CaO (lime for cement) + CO2 (carbon dioxide)  

This means that even if kiln operations relied on zero-carbon fuels, they would still be emitting GHG due to the reaction. As a result, the plan for cement industry decarbonisation requires biogenic fuels in the long term.

Short-term efforts to cut emissions focus on replacing fossil fuels with biogenic options, such as waste wood and refuse-derived fuel (RDF). While waste wood is a straightforward low-carbon fuel choice, RDF also presents a viable, lower-carbon alternative, as it consists of more than 50% paper-based materials.

For the long term, cement producers are looking to hydrogen and engineered biofuels as potential solutions. Additionally, using carbon capture along with biogenic fuels could completely offset their chemical reaction emissions, enabling a net-zero operation.

Is there enough biomass?

The viability of these solutions naturally raises concerns about resource availability, as AFRY estimates that 20 million short tons of waste and biomass will be required to implement decarbonisation plans for the steel and cement industries.

Fortunately, US resources are capable of supporting this demand. According to the US Department of Energy’s 2023 Billion-Ton Report, 85 million short tons of logging residues and paper waste are available in the near term, ensuring a sustainable supply.

Charting the path forward

In conclusion, decarbonising high-energy industries like steel and cement is a challenging but achievable goal. Biomass offers a practical solution for reducing emissions today, while emerging technologies, such as hydrogen-based production systems and carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS), hold the promise of revolutionising industrial energy use.

Mitigating emissions in heavy industries is no small feat, but the integration of biomass today, paired with technological advancements tomorrow, can drive the shift to a more sustainable future. While the stakes are high, available resources and solutions indicate that the challenge is not impossible to solve. By leveraging this dual approach, we can ensure that critical industries continue to thrive without compromising the environment.