{"id":3327,"date":"2025-11-26T14:30:41","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T14:30:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/?p=3327"},"modified":"2025-11-26T14:30:41","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T14:30:41","slug":"turning-up-the-heat-on-steels-carbon-pollution-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/3327\/turning-up-the-heat-on-steels-carbon-pollution-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"Turning up the heat on steel\u2019s carbon pollution problem"},"content":{"rendered":"

EU-funded researchers are testing new hydrogen-powered burners that could slash emissions from one of the world\u2019s most carbon-intensive industries \u2013 without shutting down production.<\/p>\n

By<\/em> Tom Cassauwers<\/p>\n

When trucks filled with hydrogen arrive outside a Barcelona steel plant next year, most bystanders will barely register their arrival. But for Raquel Torruella Mart\u00ednez, project manager at the Spanish steel company CELSA, their arrival will be a blessing.<\/p>\n

She is leading an EU-funded R&D initiative called TWINGHY that is developing hydrogen-powered burners for steel reheating furnaces to help decarbonise the steel sector.<\/p>\n

CELSA Group, headquartered in Barcelona, is one of Europe\u2019s largest producers of circular steel, recycling nearly all its raw material from scrap metal in electric arc furnaces.\u00a0This makes its operations significantly cleaner than traditional coal-based steelmaking.<\/p>\n

Through the TWINGHY project, CELSA is tackling one of the last major sources of emissions in its process:\u00a0the natural gas used to reheat steel before rolling.<\/p>\n

These furnaces heat semi-finished steel before further shaping it in rolling mills. The TWINGHY researchers want to make the process less polluting by using hydrogen instead of gas.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to reduce the impact of the steel industry, and this is one of the ways we can do that,\u201d said Torruella Mart\u00ednez.<\/p>\n

Cleaning up a heavy industry<\/strong><\/p>\n

Steelmaking is one of the world\u2019s most emissions-heavy industries. According to the\u00a0International Energy Agency<\/a>, it accounts for\u00a0about 8\u00a0% of global CO\u2082\u00a0emissions\u00a0\u2013 more than triple those from aviation. Most of these emissions come from burning\u00a0coal or natural gas\u00a0to reach the high temperatures needed to melt and reshape steel.<\/p>\n

Hydrogen offers a cleaner alternative. When burned, it releases only\u00a0water vapour, not CO\u2082. Yet the supply of\u00a0green hydrogen\u00a0\u2013 produced using renewable energy \u2013 remains limited, especially in regions such as Catalonia.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Catalonia, hydrogen infrastructure is not yet ready to provide enough supply, particularly of green hydrogen,\u201d said Torruella Mart\u00ednez. \u201cBut we\u2019ve secured sufficient quantities for our trials.\u201d<\/p>\n

Planned for early 2026, the trials will test\u00a0hybrid burners\u00a0capable of running on\u00a0either hydrogen or natural gas, or a combination of both, depending on fuel availability.<\/p>\n

Flames of the future<\/strong><\/p>\n

TWINGHY\u2019s burners will be used in\u00a0steel recycling, where scrap metal is melted and reshaped. Current reheating burners use natural gas, blasting flames up to 7 metres long and heating the steel up to\u00a01\u00a0250 \u00b0C.<\/p>\n

Replacing them with hydrogen is a complex challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cHydrogen burns faster,\u201d explained\u00a0S\u00e9bastien Caillat, combustion chief expert at French engineering firm\u00a0FIVES, which designed and built the new burners. \u201cThat makes the flame shorter, which gives a different result,\u00a0like a pizza cooked too hot, burnt at the edges and raw in the middle.\u201d<\/p>\n

To solve this, the team engineered\u00a0hybrid hydrogen\u2013gas burners\u00a0that can maintain an even flame while allowing operators to adjust the hydrogen ratio according to supply.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven in the future, it\u2019s unlikely steel companies will always have enough hydrogen,\u201d Caillat said. \u201cFlexibility is key.\u201d<\/p>\n

A digital double<\/strong><\/p>\n

The project also includes a\u00a0digital twin\u00a0\u2013 a virtual replica of the furnace \u2013 to help engineers monitor performance and simulate how different fuel mixes affect efficiency and emissions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe digital twin is updated in real time with operational data,\u201d said Torruella Mart\u00ednez. \u201cThat allows us to simulate scenarios, optimise combustion and support decision-making.\u201d<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), one of Europe\u2019s leading high-performance computing institutions and a partner in the project, is playing a key role in developing an advanced version of this digital twin.<\/p>\n

Using its computational infrastructure, BSC is building detailed models of how heat and gases flow inside the furnaces, helping predict how hydrogen combustion will behave at industrial scale.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe supercomputing power of BSC allows us to model highly complex physical processes that would otherwise be impossible to test in real time,\u201d Torruella Mart\u00ednez explained. \u201cThis helps us refine burner design, reduce emissions and optimise the transition from gas to hydrogen.\u201d<\/p>\n

The BSC team is now refining the digital twin, which is expected to be fully operational in 2026. It will enable the CELSA 3 plant to simulate furnace operations, predict its behaviour and improve energy efficiency.<\/p>\n

Supported by Europe\u2019s clean steel drive<\/strong><\/p>\n

Funding for this development comes from the\u00a0EU\u2019s Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS), which reinvests the assets of the former European Coal and Steel Community to support cleaner, more efficient steelmaking.<\/p>\n

In line with the\u00a0European Green Deal, the RFCS is backing large-scale research to achieve\u00a0near-zero carbon steel production by 2030.<\/p>\n

Hydrogen is at the heart of this vision, offering a realistic path to\u00a0decarbonise furnaces\u00a0that are too energy-intensive to electrify.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe TWINGHY project combines Europe\u2019s\u00a0green and digital transitions,\u201d said Torruella Mart\u00ednez. \u201cHybrid burners gradually increase hydrogen use, while the digital twin helps us control and optimise the process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crucially, the system can be\u00a0retrofitted into existing furnaces, extending their lifespan and avoiding costly replacements \u2013 a pragmatic route to cleaner steel.<\/p>\n

Race against supply<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over the summer, CELSA\u2019s Barcelona plant installed the hybrid burners during a regular maintenance period. They are already operating on natural gas while awaiting hydrogen trials next year.<\/p>\n

If all goes well, the burners could reach the market before the end of the project in 2027 \u2013\u00a0rapid progress by steel industry standards. But success hinges on\u00a0the availability of sufficient quantities of green hydrogen.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe technology is ready,\u201d said Torruella Mart\u00ednez. \u201cThe question is whether hydrogen supply will keep pace. Investment in clean steel depends on that.\u201d<\/p>\n

New burners are relatively expensive, and steel companies may be reluctant to buy them before they are sure there is enough hydrogen.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat could slow down investment decisions,\u201d Torruella Mart\u00ednez warned.<\/p>\n

Still, she remains upbeat. \u201cWe have to start now. Every step we take brings us closer to a greener, cleaner steel industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Research in this article was funded by the EU\u2019s Research Fund for Coal & Steel (RFCS). The views of the interviewees don\u2019t necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u200bThis article was originally published\u202fin\u00a0Horizon<\/a>\u00a0the EU Research and Innovation Magazine.<\/em><\/p>\n

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