Deadline: 23-Sep-21
European Commission calls for proposals for Adjustment of Steel process production to prepare for the transition towards climate neutrality.
Scope
- The proposals submitted under this topic are expected to provide concepts addressing the modifications of the existing installations of both primary and secondary steel production (BF/BOF, EAF, DRI) concerning the internal and external flows of energy and materials in order to re-use metallurgical gases (internal re-cycling) and to upgrade them with new sources (H2), e.g. by replacement of fossil carbon as reducing agent with hydrogen and biomass.
- This also includes the integrated preparation (reforming, separation, heating, compression) of external carbon-lean reducing gases or internally-recycled CO/CO2 streams for efficient injection in the BF or use in conventional plants.
- The concepts to be addressed under this topic are expected to address one or more of the following areas:
- Injection of hydrogen or hydrogen-rich metallurgical gases or biomass to directly avoid the usage of fossil carbon as reducing agent in BF or as heat source in EAF operation;
- New process technologies for co-injection and new injection ports for BF and DRI plants and for EAF technology;
- Advanced gas treatment solutions (purification, reforming, preheating) for steel plants process gases for the purpose of internal re-use;
- Integration of gas injection with CO2 capture and storage technologies for the transition to CO2 neutral steelmaking;
- Adaption of the energy and materials flow in the energy system of the steel production process with adjustments of gas distribution/combustion to new gas properties and amounts including new developments regarding the related process technology and control technology.
Funding Information
The check will normally be done for the coordinator if the requested grant amount is equal to or greater than EUR 500 000, except for:
- public bodies (entities established as a public body under national law, including local, regional or national authorities) or international organisations; and
- cases where the individual requested grant amount is not more than EUR 60 000 (lowvalue grant)
Expected Outcomes
Projects are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:
- Adaptation of the energy and materials flow in the existing steel installations to allow for a technically and economically feasible transition to reduce the use of fossil carbon as reducing agent;
- Reduction of carbon footprint by incrementally adapting to hydrogen and biomass as reducing agents;
- Showcase new technologies to reduce steelworks energy consumption by implementing improvements in the materials and energy flows whilst reducing fossil carbon related emissions;
- Develop technological pathways to increase the reutilization of internal process metallurgical gases by deploying advanced gas treatment solutions.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions;
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States
- eligible non-EU countries:
- countries associated to Horizon Europe;
- At the date of the publication of the work programme, there are no countries associated to Horizon Europe. Considering the Union’s interest to retain, in principle, relations with the countries associated to Horizon 2020, most third countries associated to Horizon 2020 are expected to be associated to Horizon Europe with an intention to secure uninterrupted continuity between Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. In addition, other third countries can also become associated to Horizon Europe during the programme. For the purposes of the eligibility conditions, applicants established in Horizon 2020 Associated Countries or in other third countries negotiating association to Horizon Europe will be treated as entities established in an Associated Country, if the Horizon Europe association agreement with the third country concerned applies at the time of signature of the grant agreement.
- low- and middle-income countries.
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