A prospective plant-level material flow analysis to assess systemic efficiency in the transition to hydrogen-based steelmaking

As a result of work carried out within HYINHEAT, we are pleased to share the peer-reviewed open-access publication “A prospective plant-level material flow analysis to assess systemic efficiency in the transition to hydrogen-based steelmaking”, published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology.

Abstract

Decarbonising steel production requires not only the introduction of low-carbon technologies but also the efficient use of energy and material resources throughout the production chain. This study applies a prospective plant-level Material Flow Analysis (MFA) to investigate the transition from conventional blast furnace–basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) steelmaking to hydrogen-based Direct Reduced Iron (H₂-DRI) and Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) production, including the use of hydrogen combustion in downstream rolling processes.

Using a Swedish steel plant as a case study, the analysis quantifies changes in material, energy and carbon flows under different decarbonisation strategies. The results show that transitioning to H₂-DRI-EAF steelmaking can substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with reductions of up to 89% when hydrogen is also used for reheating and heat-treatment processes are electrified. However, this transition significantly increases electricity demand, mainly due to hydrogen production and the electrification of steelmaking processes.

The study also evaluates the role of material and energy efficiency measures in reducing these additional resource requirements. Combined efficiency measures can reduce hydrogen demand by around 10% and electricity demand by 20%, demonstrating how improvements across the production chain can ease pressure on future low-carbon energy supplies. Overall, the research shows how plant-level MFA can support infrastructure planning, investment strategies and the development of site-specific decarbonisation roadmaps for the steel industry.