プロテリアルは１５日、熊谷磁材工場・グローバル技術革新センターを中心とする熊谷地区において、敷地内の自家消費型太陽光発電設備として国内最大級の太陽光発電設備を導入し、２月１日に本格稼働を開始したと発表した。発電電力量は熊谷地区の使用電力の約１０％に相当し、ＣＯ２排出削減量は年５１００トンになる。　オンサイトＰＰＡモデルによる太陽光発電設備で...

電気溶融炉(メルター）の技術開発
→欧州で直接還元とメルターを含む電炉を組み合わせた取組が進展しており、日本としても取り組む必要があると判断。
欧州が高品位鉄鉱石を原料として使用しているのに対し、本プロジェクトでは低品位鉄鉱石から高級鋼を作る技術を想定しており、ここが競争力のポイント。
総じて重要性は認識された。
他方、選択肢を複数持つメリットと分散投資のリスクについての懸念点が示された。
海外のベンチマーク等を適宜行っていただき、絞り込みについて適切な時期に判断できるようにすべき。
国産でこだわる部分と海外連携で進める部分という柔軟性・戦略的視点が必要。
他のプロジェクトとの連携については経産省に情報交換・コントロールタワーとしての役割を期待。

発電燃料である石炭の価格高騰や中部エリアの電力需給の安定化等による電力市場価格の下落を受け明海発電株式会社の収益性は低下しており、今後も厳しい事業環境が続くことが想定されます。
また、脱炭素の流れが強まる中、2050年のカーボンニュートラル実現というサステナビリティ長期ビジョンを掲げる当社グループにおいても、より環境負荷の低い事業ポートフォリオ構築の必要性が高まっています。
このような状況を踏まえ、発電事業を継続することは困難であると判断し、明海発電株式会社の発電事業を廃止することを決定いたしました。

G7 governments have a narrow window in which to future-proof their steel industries. While the real economy is moving away from carbon-intensive production, policy progress is lagging behind. Industrialised countries and major steel producers need to make concerted efforts in 2024 to turn this around. Steelmakers, communities and climate targets all depend on it.

Japan – Dragging its feet on deep decarbonisation
The world’s third largest steel producer scored lowest on the Steel Scorecard. Japan has no green primary production pipeline, and overall a lack of direction and ambition for power and industry decarbonisation. The country needs to prioritise technologies with higher emission reduction potential, and plan to include industry in its carbon pricing mechanism.
日本 – 大幅な脱炭素化に足を引っ張る
世界第3位の鉄鋼生産国は、鉄鋼スコアカードで最低のスコアを獲得しました。日本にはグリーンな一次生産パイプラインがなく、電力と産業の脱炭素化に対する方向性と熱意が全体的に欠けています。同国は、排出削減の可能性の高い技術を優先し、カーボンプライシングの仕組みに産業界を含めることを計画する必要があります。

The German government will earmark some 4 billion euros ($4.31 billion) for subsidies to support energy-intensive firms switching to green production, a government source told Reuters on Friday.
As part of Germany's ambitions to become climate-neutral by 2045, Berlin plans to award companies in industries such as steel, glass, paper and chemicals 15-year subsidies in return for reducing carbon emissions in their production, the economy ministry said in a statement on Friday.

The US Department of Energy recently announced $171 million for 49 projects across 21 states to reduce industrial greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and accelerate the development of innovative decarbonization technologies. (Earlier post.) This includes $10 million funded by the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office to demonstrate hydrogen direct reduction (HDR) at a steel plant in Toledo,Oh

thyssenkrupp Electrical Steel receives order from Siemens Energy for CO2-reduced electrical steel bluemint® powercore®
Around 700 transformers made of the lower CO2 emission material are installed in the nacelles of offshore wind turbines for Siemens Energy’s wind power business Siemens Gamesa
More than 12,000 tons of CO2 avoided
Delivery of bluemint® powercore® will take place over three years until the end of 2026
Project is part of a collaboration between thyssenkrupp Electrical Steel and Siemens Energy for the decarbonization of the energy industry

Salzgitter signs 10-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), supported by Pexapark, with Octopus Energy Generation
Steel producer to be supplied with 126,000 MWh of clean energy per year generated from Octopus’ Schiebsdorf solar farm in Brandenburg
Electricity generated by the project will directly support future production of green steel by Salzgitter Group, through its pioneering Low CO2 Steelmaking program

thyssenkrupp Steel and RWE sign a contract for supply of green electricity to the first direct reduction plant
First green electricity supply contract to supply the direct reduction plant.
Renewable energy is a cornerstone of the tkH2Steel transformation project.
Close cooperation between thyssenkrupp Steel and RWE to achieve climate goals.
Energy is generated at RWE's Kaskasi offshore wind farm in the North Sea

Hydrogen use is planned to start in 2028, with 100% hydrogen operation to follow in 2029
Tender process consists of three phases
Requirement for 143,000 metric tons of hydrogen is to be covered

SSAB Europe and VR Transpoint, which is responsible for VR's logistics business, have initiated a joint project to electrify heavy-duty industry transports. SSAB Europe will invest in heavy-duty vehicle charging points at the Hämeenlinna Works. VR will invest in low-emission road transport by acquiring fully electric trucks for SSAB Europe’s deliveries. The fully electric trucks to be acquired will be among the largest in terms of total mass to operate in regular customer deliveries in Finland.

Outokumpu and V-ZUG to reduce emissions from the home appliance sector – first in Switzerland to use stainless steel with up to 93% lower carbon footprint

The Albanese and Cook Governments have finalised a $140 million agreement to build a hydrogen hub in the Pilbara in Western Australia.
In particular, the Pilbara Hydrogen Hub will be a major centre for hydrogen production and export, with the potential to become an international gateway to Australian-made green steel and iron.

Rio Tinto, BHP and BlueScope Steel on 9 February revealed they are collaborating in efforts to make Pilbara iron ore suitable for direct reduced iron (DRI) processes, accelerating the decarbonisation of steelmaking.
The new collaboration provides further evidence that carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) will not play a major role in steel decarbonisation.
It also means BHP and Rio now have even less excuse for not setting measurable Scope 3 emissions targets.
With Rio Tinto, BHP and BlueScope Steel announcing on 9 February they are now working together on making Pilbara iron ore suitable for direct reduced iron (DRI) processes that don’t use coal, it is becoming even clearer that carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) will not play a meaningful role in steel decarbonisation. BHP and Rio now also have even less reason not to set measurable Scope 3 emissions targets.
The steel technology transition away from coal is accelerating with global steelmakers increasingly turning to scrap steel recycling and DRI as alternatives to blast furnaces.
The DRI-electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking pathway using gas is a mature and established technology in places like the Middle East that don’t have coal reserves. DRI technology providers have made clear that their equipment is compatible with a switch from gas to green hydrogen, providing a route to near-zero emissions steelmaking.

To support our broader decarbonisation efforts, in March 2021 we launched our XCarb® Innovation Fund, the intention of which was to invest in the best and brightest technologies that hold the potential to support the decarbonisation of steelmaking.

The ambitious H2 Green Steel project signals a paradigm shift in the industry, often considered a “real bad boy” in environmental terms.
In a groundbreaking step towards a greener future, H2 Green Steel, a Swedish company, is about to build the world’s first commercial-scale steel mill with the potential to reduce CO2 emissions. by a staggering 95 percent, Newsweek revealed.
The key lies in a new process that swaps traditional carbon-heavy coke for hydrogen, releasing only steam in the steelmaking process. This significant step towards sustainable steel production comes as the industry grapples with its notorious contribution of around 7 percent of global CO2 emissions.