Sustainable Transition Pathways for Steel Manufacturing: Low-Carbon Steelmaking Technologies in Enterprises

Jinghua Zhang, Haoyu Guo, Gaiyan Yang (), Yan Wang and Wei Chen
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Jinghua Zhang: Yisheng College/College of Iron & Steel Carbon Neutrality, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China
Haoyu Guo: College of Metallurgy and Energy, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China
Gaiyan Yang: Yisheng College/College of Iron & Steel Carbon Neutrality, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China
Yan Wang: Yanzhao Iron and Steel Laboratory, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China
Wei Chen: Yisheng College/College of Iron & Steel Carbon Neutrality, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 12, 1-37

Abstract: Amid escalating global climate crises and the urgent imperative to meet the Paris Agreement’s carbon neutrality targets, the steel industry—a leading contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions—confronts unprecedented challenges in driving sustainable industrial transformation through innovative low-carbon steelmaking technologies. This paper examines decarbonization technologies across three stages (source, process, and end-of-pipe) for two dominant steel production routes: the long process (BF-BOF) and the short process (EAF). For the BF-BOF route, carbon reduction at the source stage is achieved through high-proportion pellet charging in the blast furnace and high scrap ratio utilization; at the process stage, carbon control is optimized via bottom-blowing O 2 -CO 2 -CaO composite injection in the converter; and at the end-of-pipe stage, CO 2 recycling and carbon capture are employed to achieve deep decarbonization. In contrast, the EAF route establishes a low-carbon production system by relying on green and efficient electric arc furnaces and hydrogen-based shaft furnaces. At the source stage, energy consumption is reduced through the use of green electricity and advanced equipment; during the process stage, precision smelting is realized through intelligent control systems; and at the end-of-pipe stage, a closed-loop is achieved by combining cascade waste heat recovery and steel slag resource utilization. Across both process routes, hydrogen-based direct reduction and green power-driven EAF technology demonstrate significant emission reduction potential, providing key technical support for the low-carbon transformation of the steel industry. Comparative analysis of industrial applications reveals varying emission reduction efficiencies, economic viability, and implementation challenges across different technical pathways. The study concludes that deep decarbonization of the steel industry requires coordinated policy incentives, technological innovation, and industrial chain collaboration. Accelerating large-scale adoption of low-carbon metallurgical technologies through these synergistic efforts will drive the global steel sector toward sustainable development goals. This study provides a systematic evaluation of current low-carbon steelmaking technologies and outlines practical implementation strategies, contributing to the industry’s decarbonization efforts.

Keywords: low-carbon steelmaking; carbon emission reduction; hydrogen-based metallurgy; high-efficiency EAF; CCUS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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