Life Cycle Assessment and Environmental Impact Evaluation of CCU Technology Schemes in Steel Plants

Greenhouse gas emissions are significant contributors to global warming, and steel enterprises need to find more efficient and environmentally friendly solutions to reduce CO2 emissions while maintaining high process efficiency and low production costs. Carbon capture and utilization (CCU) is a promising approach which can convert captured CO2 into valuable chemicals, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and mitigating climate change. This study uses life cycle assessment (LCA) to compare the environmental impacts of BF-BOF steel plants with and without CCU. When evaluating seven scenarios, including three carbon capture and two carbon utilization technologies, against a baseline, the results demonstrate significant environmental benefits from implementing CCU technologies. Although the activated carbon TSA route for CO2-based methanol production showed good environmental performance, its toxicity risks highlight the advantages of combining TSA with steel slag carbonation as a better non-toxic solution.