What are some of the technologies being explored to help decarbonize steelmaking?
ABB’s automation and electrification solutions include distributed control systems (DCS, including the flagship
ABB Ability™ System 800xA®), rectifiers (including
high power rectifiers (HPR) used in the production of green hydrogen through water electrolysis, for example),
electromagnetic stirrers (EMS), power management, instrumentation, transformers and motors – all of which are all crucial components that enable reliable green steel production.
EAFs require a substantial, stable electricity supply and this demands robust grid infrastructure. ABB supports steelmakers in this area in many ways but through energy-efficient motors, process optimization software and electromagnetic stirring solutions we can enhance EAF efficiency and reduce energy consumption, easing that pressure on the system. Our
ABB Ability™ Energy Management System helps stabilize operations in regions with grid reliability concerns, ensuring uninterrupted EAF performance. In one European example, the solution covered steam yield, by-product gases, energy purchase and production, including site plants and turbines and resulted in 10 percent less flaring of gases, 15 percent improvement in accuracy of electricity purchasing forecasts and an average saving of 15KEUR per month.
Another such technology example in energy management is
ABB Ability™ OPTIMAX®, which enables reduction of power costs – often the biggest operational expense – by intelligently balancing supply and demand in real time. Generative AI is also critical for the path ahead and we’re harnessing it through
ABB Ability™ Genix Copilot. The solution helps energy, utilities and other industries improve efficiency, productivity and sustainability by contextualizing vast amounts of data from plant operations to provide actionable insights. Digital solutions like these are not only speeding up decarbonization of the sector but boosting the global competitiveness of steelmakers.
Staying with digital solutions, JSW Steel's Dolvi Works plant in India is just one of the examples of businesses reaping the rewards.
ABB Ability™ Smart Melt Shop, a comprehensive solution that leverages data from sensors and process equipment,
has boosted productivity by up to 24,000 tonnes annually at the site and cut energy costs by around $250,000. This intelligent system optimizes crane and ladle tracking, leading to faster casting speeds and reduced arcing in the ladle furnace.
ABB automation and control systems are enabling scale-up of fossil-free sponge iron using Swedish GreenIron’s hydrogen-based reduction technology.
Why is the steel industry a good fit for deployment of decarbonization technologies?
Current steel production is carbon and energy intensive and classified as one of the six ‘hard to abate’ sectors. Globally, the steel industry is responsible for an estimated 8 percent of the world’s energy demand and generates between 7 percent to 9 percent of CO₂ emissions – most of which are from burning fossil fuels, according to various sources including the recent International Energy Agency (IEA)
Iron and Steel Technology Roadmap.
It’s because of this sheer energy intensity that reliable scale-up of technologies is crucial for the global transition. Steel plants operate with consistently high-load energy demands, which makes them ideal for integration of technologies like hydrogen power and electrified heating.
At the same time, the steel industry offers multiple integration points for the digital solutions that will accelerate decarbonization ambitions. From real-time optimization to predictive maintenance, there’s a wealth of opportunity to extract more efficiency from every step of the process. And with growing regulatory and societal pressure to decarbonize, many producers are actively looking for solutions that go beyond incremental improvements.
As we often say, the greenest unit of electricity is the one that isn’t used. Even modest efficiency gains – five percent here, 10 percent there – can have enormous impact when applied across large-scale steel operations
Is ABB also working on projects where decarbonization technologies are being applied in other metals or construction materials manufacturing sectors?
Decarbonization is not exclusive to steel, and the principles of electrification, optimization and digital control apply across many emissions-intensive industries. In operations across the complete steel, aluminum and other metals value chain, along with cement and chemical production, we’re helping customers move towards low-carbon operations without compromising on safety, performance or profitability.
One example of a technology partnership across all of these industries is that with transformational technology and engineering company
Coolbrook. The two companies collaborated in the petrochemicals market to accelerate the adoption of Coolbrook’s RotoDynamic Reactor (RDR) technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in steam cracking plants. Together they created a combined offering to reduce energy consumption by 30 percent and improve yield by 20 percent in ethylene production. Across cement and steel, Coolbrook’s RotoDynamic Heater (RDH) technology has potential to replace the burning of fossil fuels with high temperature electric heating to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and increase process efficiency. ABB’s role is in automation, electrification, and digitalization solutions, including electric motors and variable speed drives, to enhance the energy efficiency and integration of Coolbrook’s technology.
JSW Steel are optimizing casting speeds, reducing energy costs and ensuring real-time visibility using ABB Ability™ Smart Melt Shop at their Dolvi plant in India.
What’s next on the horizon for decarbonization technologies in hard-to-abate industries like steelmaking?
The next chapter will be defined by scalability, modular solutions and smarter integration. A standardized approach that can be scaled and replicated across multiple sites significantly reduces engineering time and accelerates the deployment of new facilities. This means that heavy-asset industries can decarbonize quicker, while the rapidly growing demand for new energy like green hydrogen can be met.
That focus on delivering scalable solutions is key to our collaboration with Charbone Hydrogen as it seeks to grow green hydrogen production in North America, and also in our collaboration with
Topsoe and Fluor. That alliance is focused on developing a standardized model for Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell (SOEC) factories – a step that will dramatically accelerate the deployment of electrolyzers – in Virginia, US.
Increasingly, we’re building digital capability directly into the foundations of industrial systems. AI, automation and predictive analytics are no longer optional add-ons but at the core of how energy and process systems are designed and managed from day one. This allows us to build industrial operations that are more resilient, more adaptive and more economically sound.
We often say that we need to prioritize progress over perfection. The technologies are here, the partnerships are forming, and the challenge now is to apply what we’re developing with pace and purpose. At ABB, we believe that everything that runs well, can always be engineered to run better. With our technology, we can support decarbonization efforts by helping industries outrun, leaner and cleaner.