Energy efficiency in the steel industry
The steel industry is one of the most energy-intensive sectors at an industrial level, with significant thermal and electrical demand derived from processes such as melting, continuous casting, rolling, heat treatment, and auxiliary services like compressed air, pumping, and ventilation. In integrated plants, thermal energy —mainly in the form of fuel gas, steam, and preheated air— can account for up to 70% of total energy consumption, while in electric steel mills, electrical energy associated with electric arc furnaces can exceed 50%.
One of the most relevant areas for energy improvement lies in the optimization of reheating furnaces, heat treatment systems, and auxiliary boilers. Enhancing combustion efficiency through air-fuel ratio adjustments, purge automation, and heat recovery from exhaust gases can significantly reduce fossil fuel consumption. Installing heat recuperators or regenerators in high-temperature furnaces makes it possible to preheat combustion air or supply industrial hot water circuits, optimizing the use of available thermal energy.
Steam management, although less extensive compared to other industries, remains important in auxiliary services, fluid heating systems, and equipment washing and cleaning. At this point, ensuring proper pipe insulation, maintaining steam traps in good condition, and maximizing condensate recovery helps reduce losses and improve the overall efficiency of thermal systems.
In integrated plants or those equipped with coke ovens or blast furnaces, cogeneration using residual gases—such as blast furnace gas, coke oven gas, and steel mill gas—is a common strategy to generate electricity and process steam. These gases, which were previously wasted or burned without utilization, are now valorized through recovery boilers and steam turbines, reducing electricity purchases and lowering the plant’s CO₂ emissions.
In parallel, electrical consumption in the steel industry is significant, especially in electric arc furnaces, pumping systems, forced ventilation, dust collection, rolling mills, and cooling circuits. Compressed air systems, heavily used for pneumatic actuators, cleaning, and valve control, often present substantial losses due to leaks—ranging from 20% to 30% in plants without proper management—and oversizing that leads to unnecessary consumption. Efficient management includes leak detection and repair, pressure adjustments, sequential compressor control, and the incorporation of variable frequency drives (VFDs) to modulate operation according to actual demand.
Similarly, pumping and ventilation systems in cooling water circuits, dust removal systems, and gas transport are often oversized or operate at fixed speed. Installing VFDs, together with pressure and temperature sensors, allows modulation of flow rates according to operational needs, achieving electrical savings that can reach between 20% and 40% in these applications.
A critical aspect in steel plants is the cooling towers, which dissipate heat generated in furnaces, rolling mills, and dust removal systems. The accumulation of dirt, fouling on fill media, poor water distribution, and unbalanced or fixed-speed fans reduce their thermal dissipation capacity. This raises the return temperature to the system and forces pumping and cooling equipment to operate under less efficient conditions. Preventive maintenance, flow and speed regulation, and the incorporation of VFDs in fan motors help optimize performance, reduce consumption, and extend the service life of associated equipment.
Together, the combination of these measures enables steel plants to reduce their overall energy consumption, improve competitiveness, and lower their environmental footprint, in a context where emissions regulations and international market pressures demand increasingly efficient and sustainable processes.
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