Responsible for 9% of total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions worldwide, the international steel industry must become a key area of focus for decarbonisation efforts.
A collaboration agreement between Nippon Gases and Sarralle will see the companies working together from initial design through manufacture and supply to commissioning and/or provision of engineering services regarding hydrogen burners.
Hydrogen burners could transform the steel industry by replacing natural gas used in production with renewably-source green hydrogen, with the technology used to become cost-competitive in the ‘medium-term future’ in Europe.
According to Saacke’s whitepaper entitled, ’Hydrogen in Industry and Shipping’, a 7.5W hydrogen burner that runs continuously at maximum output (24 hours/day) and is converted to hydrogen saves around 35 tonnes of CO2 emissions per day compared to natural gas combustion.
As per the terms of the agreement, Sarralle will install the burner technology provided by Nippon Gases and the partners will also go ahead as manufacturers for future decarbonisation projects.
The deal comes soon after Nippon Gases was awarded a gold medal by rating agency EcoVadis for its sustainability endeavours.
Video:
Resumen – Carbon Neutrality
Its parent company, Nippon Sanso Holdings Group (NSHD), told gasworld in an exclusive article published on 2nd December that this reflects the company ‘working to enable a carbon neutral world’.
NSHD’s sustainability targets were laid out in its Sustainability Report for the fiscal year ending March 2021 and includes the adoption of a ‘portfolio of integrated technological solutions’ including its green oxygen and oxy-combustion technology, CO2 recovery unit solutions, and low-carbon hydrogen production.
The company aims to utilise these methods to enable a carbon-neutral world, as illustrated in the video above.
The recent push for sustainable industrial solutions has not been limited to Nippon Gases – NSHD’s European gases branch; a second ‘green’ bulk atmospheric gases (B.A.G.) farm was launched by Nippon Gases Italia in October.