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Decarbonisation of Hard-to-Abate Industries: A How-To Guide Summary

Overview

• Context: Steel, aluminum, and mining industries collectively account for ~12% of global CO₂ emissions and are critical for the energy transition due to their role in producing essential materials.
• Objective: To accelerate decarbonization through collaboration and innovation, aiming to meet Paris Agreement goals.
• Supporting Platform: Decarbonising Industry Working Group under the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), comprising companies like Masdar, Oliver Wyman, Anglo American, Rio Tinto, EGA, and Tata Steel.

Core Challenges

• Technological Immaturity: Key abatement solutions (hydrogen, carbon capture, electrification) are not yet globally scalable.
• Economic Barriers: High investment costs, lack of green premiums, and regulatory uncertainty hinder adoption.
• Energy Dependency: Industries rely heavily on fossil-fueled grids/oil/gas, requiring renewable energy infrastructure expansion.
• Supply Constraints: Shortages of high-grade ores (e.g., iron ore for DRI processes) and lower-quality scrap limit decarbonization pathways.

Key Abatement Pathways

1. Steel Decarbonisation:

• Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) with Green Hydrogen: Hybrid BF-BOF reduction using green hydrogen to cut emissions by up to 65% per tonne.
• Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): Feasibility studies focus on integrating CCS into existing blast furnaces and pilot projects for CO₂ utilization (e.g., methanol production).
• Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) Expansion: Using renewable-powered EAFs with improved scrap collection and recycling.

2. Aluminum Decarbonisation:

• Electric Calcination: Replacing fossil-fueled calcination with renewable-powered electric processes to reduce Scope 1 emissions by ~10%.
• Zero-Carbon Steam Production: Integrating renewable energy and thermal storage to decarbonize steam generation in the Bayer process.
• Inert Anodes: Development for carbon-free smelting, though not yet mature.

3. Mining Decarbonisation:

• Haulage Electrification/Biofuels: Transitioning mining vehicles to hydrogen, biofuels, or battery power to address ~40% of emissions.
• Renewable Energy Integration: Scaling solar/wind for remote mining operations and green hydrogen for energy-intensive processes.
• Lower-Grade Ore Processing: Innovations for utilizing waste products like slag in circular economy models.

Call to Action

• Collaborative Frameworks:
  • Pilot Projects: Prioritized five focus areas (e.g., DRI feedstock, carbon capture, e-methanol, electric calcination) to validate scalable solutions.
  • Cross-Sector Partnerships: Encouraging collaboration between miners, steelmakers, aluminum producers, and energy providers.
• Policy Recommendations:
  1. Global Carbon Framework: Develop uniform carbon accounting, pricing, and subsidies to ensure a level playing field.
  2. Renewable Energy Expansion: Scale up grid capacity, hydrogen production, and green power purchasing.
  3. Long-Term Demand Signals: Office agreements with green premiums to de-risk investments for low-carbon products.
  4. RD&D Financing: Tax incentives and green bonds to fund low-carbon technology piloting, including "Olive" projects.

Conclusion

Decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors is feasible but requires coordinated action across industry, government, and finance. Pilot projects provide proof of concept, but scaling demands supportive policy and investment.