Sidenor buys recycling company to support decarbonization efforts
Spain-based steel producer Sidenor Group has announced that it has acquired industrial scrap and waste recycling company Eplus based in Barcelona as part of its decarbonization and sustainability efforts.
Having facilities extending over 2,000 square meters, Eplus processes materials such as ferrous and nonferrous metals, paper, cardboard and plastics in order for steel and other industries to reuse them in their operations.
Earlier this year, Sidenor completed the acquisition of Miguel Martin to secure scrap supply, as SteelOrbis reported previously. Also, the company had purchased Aguilar Metal Recycling in 2022.
Sidenor tests new electric combustion technology
Spanish special steelmaker Sidenor says it is testing innovative technologies, such as the application of electric resistance heating in the preheating process of tundishes, to lower carbon footprint, Kallanish learns from the company.
This is part of the Citadel project, financed by the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, which promotes transformation towards a more sustainable and carbon-free steel industry.
Several of Sidenor’s gas-fired heating processes are currently the focus of the testing. The initiative is centred on the electrification of processes which traditionally depend on natural gas, such as tundish and ladle heating, which are critical in the production of liquid steel and have a great impact on the final quality of the product.
“We are working to optimise these processes by developing two key industrial tests, tundish heating using electric resistances and ladle heating using oxy-fuel combustion,” Sidenor comments. “These tests aim to evaluate the feasibility of substituting natural gas with cleaner energy sources, thus reducing carbon emissions and improving energy efficiency at crucial production phases.”
The use of O2, as a by-product of H2, is expected to increase production efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions by around 30%. The technology will enable the transition to hydrogen combustion in the near future.
Todor Kirkov Bulgaria
