02/01/2024
Redefining success: Conversations with ArcelorMittal
Why did you join the ACHIEF project and what’s your role?
We identified this project as an opportunity to reduce the energy consumption in our industrial facilities (the tunnel furnace, main natural gas consumer of the plant) and try to extend the lifetime of the rollers for this. We have been working many years on this topic, and this research and innovative approach matched very well with the objectives of the plant.
The role of ArcelorMittal Sestao in the project is to develop the industrial demonstrator, testing the new materials in part of the rollers of the tunnel furnace.
How is ArcelorMittal contributing to reduce their environmental footprint and enhance the circular nature of their processes?
ArcelorMittal Sestao process is very circular by itself, as we are producing steel from scrap and by electrical furnaces (EAF route). For that we are also contracting renewal energy for part of the production, leading this way to very low CO2 emissions in the final product.
Additionally to that Sestao is revalorising the wastes coming from the process as much as possible, and managing this topic as priority, with total respect to the neighborhood and local areas. Another important topic is the use of water in the industrial process, we recirculate the water in the process at a very high rate.
Can you explain the process to validate the HESAs in High Temperatures applications?
For the industrial demonstrator, we will select specific zone of the tunnel furnace and test the HESA in real industrial conditions during a period, with the usual production temperature about 1100 – 1200ºC and the conditions of dust, scale, in the environment, testing the materials in equipment in motion.
How would you explain to a wider public what will be the impact of the ACHIEF project to energy intensive industries such as ArcelorMittal?
This project can be highly beneficial as long as it reduces energy consumption in such sectors as steelmaking, with high energy demand usually in electricity and in natural gas, as it is Sestao´ s case.
The ACHIEF project could contribute to reduce the carbon footprint of the plant by reducing the NG consumption in our tunnel furnace, a challenging route and target.
How do you see the future of the ACHIEF project?
We will keep working hard to get to the best HESA, it is not an easy matter and during the project we are learning that the research and innovative part of the materials requires a lot of patience, time and resources, but it is the key of be successful.
ARCELORMITTAL MAIN RESPONSIBLES TEAM
Iker Basterretxea,
