Sharing insights into decarbonisation of the steel industry and circular economies, Drescher explained that most of the company’s CO2 emissions come from the production of carbonate based raw material in rotary kilns.
RHI Magnesita has reduced its global carbon footprint through various options such as carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS), the use of renewable fuels such as hydrogen and biofuels, green electricity, and changing its supply mix.
Reducing Scope 1 CO2 emissions
Focusing on post-combustion technologies for the capture aspect, Drescher added, “Utilisation is then even more ambitious because we see what kind of options we have. Potential for storage includes depleted gas fields or saline aquifers.”
“Mineralisation is an option we’re looking at, to take the CO2 and let it react directly with serpentinites, this will take some years until we’re really there.”
By 2040 the company hopes to use captured CO2 on-site for its applications and – by 2045 – it aims to phase out natural gas and introduce a hydrogen pipeline into the equation.
“It’s not something that we can invest completely by ourselves, so it needs governmental support in order to make it feasible,” commented Drescher.
He added that hydrogen is an important gas for the company to reduce its own emissions but also reduce emissions for its customers.
Opportunities going forward
Drescher alluded to a green value chain being extended through its customer-base in the form of green steel.
“The big groups that we’re supplying already ask us what we’re doing in terms of reducing our CO2 footprint, so the steel industry will be, in my opinion, the first one where we can sell – as we call it – green bricks,” concluded Drescher.
The full presentation, along with each full session of gasworld’s virtual ‘Europe CO2 Summit’ will be available to watch on-demand.