Journal of Steel Structures & Construction

For the decarbonized iron and steel industry, energy-saving technologies and mass-thermal network optimization are important

Abstract

Xin Bo

Iron and steel demand is a leading indicator of national growth and has a major impact on the global economy. Iron and steel manufacturing, which has become the second largest energy user in industry, uses high-temperature furnaces. From 2000 to 2011, the sector's energy consumption increased by 6.2 percent annually, owing to rises in crude steel demand (IEA, 2014). Furthermore, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from iron and steel plants account for the largest proportion of CO2 emissions in the industrial sector, at about 27%.