Decarbonization in the iron and steelmaking: How we can indeed contribute for this challenge?
01 Jan 00
12:00 AM
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12:00 AM
Facing energy crisis and global warming, the use of new energy sources such as sustainable ones has become imperative. In this context, CEMIG Company, ONDATEC Company and the Federal University of Ouro Preto, invested in a project under the Program (R&D) CEMIG/ANEEL for power generation and charcoal production. The objective of this work was to compare the energetic potential of waste gases (non-condensable gases-NCG) and liquid (condensable gases-CG) of a biomass pyrolysis plant by microwave to produce charcoal and the pilot plant that originated it. Therefore, the ONDATEC made the necessary improvements and built the Unit for energy and charcoal production (UPEC-250) by microwave with a production capacity of 250 kg per hour. The pyrolysis process was in a continuous mode and in two stages: the biomass drying and the pyrolysis itself. As a result, charcoal, pyrolysis gas (NCG) and bio-oil (CG) were produced. According to the results obtained for the CG and the NCG, it was found a generation potential of 2.24 MWh of electric energy produced by one ton of charcoal, which can be a good alternative to relieve the production chain of charcoal and pig iron. Of course, we waste around 1 MWh/t of charcoal in the Microwave furnace, giving then a surplus of 1,2 MWh that can be used for any purpose.