Green steel produced with hydrogen is one of the topics that are making their way into the discussions on climate change these days.
In the world the use of fossil fuels involves the emission of about 37 billion tons of CO2 per year and a significant part is attributable to the steel industry.
Green steel produced with hydrogen is also called green hydrogen. Green as it is produced by electrolysis.
Two moles of water dissociate into their constituent elements and this dissociation is not spontaneous as the products have a higher thermodynamic state than the reactants, so electrical energy must be supplied to support the phenomenon.
This leads us to the consideration that electricity is produced from renewable sources.
The process for creating green steel implies some inefficiency.
It is estimated, in fact, that it is 70-80% of the electrical energy that is transformed into chemical (therefore into hydrogen) and that therefore 50-55 kilowatt hours are required to produce 1 kilogram of hydrogen.
In the last decade, the cost of green hydrogen has dropped by 60% and is now estimated at between 3.5 and 5.5 euros per kilogram. By 2030 it could drop to around 1.8.
Meanwhile Tenaris, Edison and Snam are collaborating to identify and implement the most suitable solutions for the production, distribution and use of green hydrogen.
The project is based in Dalmine and significantly invests the green steel production process.
In addition to this, a storage site is planned for the accumulation of high pressure hydrogen and the use of oxygen, locally produced by electrolysis, within the smelting process.
“Green hydrogen – comments Snam CEO Marco Alverà – can represent the ideal solution to decarbonise some important industrial sectors, in particular to produce zero-emission steel in the long run. Today’s agreement, which features three companies active along the entire value chain, is a first step to achieve this important goal. Thanks to its technologies and infrastructure, Snam is one of the enablers of the hydrogen supply chain to contribute to the fight against climate change and the creation of new development opportunities, in line with national and European strategies “.
