Microalgae-based application for the eco-friendly steelmaking process

Conventional steelmaking is a thing of the past. Today’s steelmakers are increasingly implementing resource-efficient and low-carbon technologies to improve the sustainability of their established production processes by reducing both direct and indirect CO2 emissions.

In this process of production transformation, new solutions are realized every day. One example is a recent Danieli project carried out in cooperation with ABS, our steelmaking division, based on the production of microalgae for the nutraceutical sector.

The plant is designed in collaboration with a spinoff of the University of Florence and allows both thermal-waste recovery from steelmaking processes and the use of the CO2 byproducts for chlorophyll photosynthesis. Usually, the thermal energy and carbon emissions are dispersed in the environment and cannot be recuperated efficiently in the industrial ecosystem. Also, microalgae production can reduce emissions and CO2 accumulation more effectively than tree planting.

The pilot plant consists of a series of high-productivity photobioreactors that the high-quality product that is expected to promote a growing market demand. They take advantage of sunlight during the day and LEDs that emit radiation of the desired wavelength at night.

Thanks to the high level of industrial automation only a minimal number of personnel is required.

This eco-friendly solution started up in November 2020. In the next few months Danieli will define the optimal production condition for both Spirulina and other microalgae strains.

The steelmaking site has never been greener, but the future is even more promising thanks to the availability of carbon-capture technology with the unmatched advantages.