AISI Creates Energy Reduction Strategy For Steelmaking

AISI with our members have developed a new Roadmap towards dramatically reducing energy use in steelmaking. Entitled "Saving One Barrel of Oil per Ton— A New Roadmap for Transformation of the Steelmaking Process," or SOBOT, it describes a long-term strategy designed to reduce energy intensity in steel production by identifying research pathways in energy substitution, energy recovery and energy savings.

SOBOT will be the key to future target of energy consumption in steel industry as the Roadmap will guide R & D over the next 10-15 years toward the 2025 target of producing steel using approximately one barrel of oil [approximately 6 million BTU] per ton less than today's processes.

"Energy savings of this type cannot be made by incremental changes, although they are often important enabling technologies," Lawrence W. Kavanagh, AISI's vice president of Manufacturing and Technology said. "It will require radical approaches to future steelmaking processes to achieve the reductions in energy use contemplated by SOBOT."

Energy use per ton of steel shipped has been reduced by 23% since 1990, as previously reported by AISI, and steelmakers efforts today are always driving energy consumption closer to the limits of today's processes. "Although our energy efficiency since 1990 has outperformed Kyoto, we must do more," Andrew G. Sharkey, III president and CEO of AISI said. "SOBOT's goal will keep us firmly focused on a sustainable future." For more information, contact Katie Gallagher.