Complying with the EU Green Deal, the RFCS objectives and Horizon Europe’s Missions to move towards climate neutrality by 2050 with a zero-pollution ambition, it is essential to make sure that while introducing breakthrough technologies to produce green steel, the whole circular concept is kept in place, especially with respect to recycling of by-products, such as slag. Next generation iron and steelmaking process to decrease CO2 by using direct reduced iron (DRI) with varying reduction degrees, hot briquetted iron (HBI), hydrogen plasma smelting reduction (HPSR) or by operating electrical smelters for low-grade ores will result in increase of EAF and other slags with different properties. This requires the understanding of the possibility to valorize future slags in the present value chain and define innovative applications to assure smooth transition process without disruption to the steel industry as well as other sectors (such as road construction or cement) who currently rely on slag as raw material for their processes. To understand and move forward the transition of the steel industry, five steelworks, six RTOs and two suppliers will investigate slags resulting from next generation steelmaking in Europe in InSGeP project. The project will rely on the limited amount of currently produced slags from next generation steel production in Europe as well as on laboratory, pilot scale and industrial scale tests that will be performed based on the needs of the involved partners. The slags will be evaluated based on chemical, mineral, environmental and physical properties and will be treated with different cooling and granulation methods to produce physical characteristics needed for different applications and environmentally compatible products. Use of the slags in applications such as road construction, cement/concrete, liming material or 3D printing will be tested. The InSGeP project will create guidelines for the use of slags from next generation steelmaking.

Partnership

• Institut fur Baustoff-Forschung EV (Germany)
• Coordinatore Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (Italy)
• Rina Consulting - Centro Sviluppo Materiali SpA (Italy)
• K1-MET GmbH (Austria) Voestalpine Stahl GmbH (Austria)
• Centre de Recherces Métallurgiques asbl (Belgium)
• Tenova SpA (Italy)
• O.R.I. Martin - Acciaieria e ferriera di Brescia Spa (Italy)
• VDEh-Betriebsforschungsinstitut GmbH (Germany)
• Arcelormittal Maizières Research SA (France)
• Sidenor Investigation y Desarrollosa (Spain)
• Saartshal AG (Germany)
• Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH (Austria)