Innovative Cold Agglomerated Pellets for Sustainable Steel Production
Key Ideas
- BSL collaborates with Teesside University to develop cold agglomerated pellets for steelmaking processes, aiming to address the shortage of high-quality iron ore pellets.
- The patented CAP technology by BSL requires minimal heat and energy, offering significant advantages such as reduced emissions and energy usage compared to traditional methods.
- As the steel industry transitions to lower carbon production methods, the demand for high-grade iron ore increases, creating a potential supply deficit that innovative technologies like CAPs can help alleviate.
- Bloomberg New Energy Finance forecasts a substantial increase in the demand for suitable pellets, highlighting the importance of sustainable solutions like cold agglomerated pellets in the steel sector.
Teesside University's Dr Venkatesan Krishnan, supported by Innovate UK, is collaborating with Binding Solutions Ltd (BSL) to develop cold agglomerated pellets (CAPs) for steel production. These pellets are designed to be used in direct reduction (DRI) and hydrogen reduction (HDR) processes, offering an alternative to traditional methods like sinters or lump ore in blast furnaces. BSL's patented CAP technology minimizes heat and energy usage, utilizing iron ore concentrates from various sources to meet technical requirements. The development of CAPs aims to address the growing demand for high-quality iron ore pellets, especially as the steel industry shifts towards lower carbon production methods. Russell Kaschula, COO at BSL, emphasizes the importance of innovative solutions like CAPs in meeting the future shortfall of suitable pellets, as forecasted by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. With significant reductions in capex, energy usage, and CO2e emissions, cold agglomerated pellets offer a sustainable and efficient option for the steel sector amidst increasing environmental concerns.