What ∑s think
Why Green Mine & Steel
The mining and steel industries are major contributors to air pollution. For example, approximately 7.2% of total greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are caused by the steel industry. Greenhouse gases contribute to global warming. Additionally, air pollution poses a threat to human life, plants, and animals, and it makes cities look unpleasant.
This non-governmental organization, with an international approach and the certainty that clean air has no borders, started its activates in Iran, which is the tenth largest steel producer in the world. By introducing more than 50 companies’ senior managers through holding various seminars and workshops, the institute manage to raise awareness and attracting support for the green steel industry. Moreover, the institute started reviewing projects to increase productivity and reduce carbon production in hope of developing a global environmental justice strategy.
Although by using the natural gas in its steel process, Iran (rank 10th in steel production in the world) manage to emits 30% less pollution than other steel producing countries in the world, but due to the size of its forests, it can only neutralize 25% of the greenhouse gas produced by its steel industries. Such a fact makes it even more necessary to focus on de-carbonization and revolutionize the industry all together.
Managers of SIGMAS believe that just as pollution knows no borders, it is possible to curb it with the help of global thought without borders.
Green technologies are rapidly evolving and modernizing, and the selection of domestic and foreign technological companions and partners brings us closer to the goal of reducing emissions.
In line with its goals, SIGMAS has formed 4 specialized departments with the presence of industrial and academic experts, which are:
- Department of increasing energy efficiency
- Department of increasing production process efficiency
- Department of carbon absorption
- Department of production based on hydrogen
Global Agreements
Agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement have set obligations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will soon impose significant taxes on imports of products that have been produced with high levels of pollution. This means that even exporting polluting products to the European Union will not be economically advantageous.
To reduce carbon emissions in the steel and mining industries, what can be done?
A significant portion of the pollution generated in the steel and mining industries is related to the use of fossil fuels for energy production. Renewable energy sources can be used as alternatives to fossil fuels. These are energy sources that the world has extensive plans to move towards. Additionally, in the steel industry, the production of iron from iron ore (the reduction process), which is currently done using coke or natural gas, contributes significantly to steel pollution.
Renewable Energy Resources
“For many decades, we were told that moving towards renewable energy is not economical. Today, however, this is not true”. This is a quote from former US President Barack Obama. Renewable energy sources, especially wind turbines and solar cells, will play a major role in energy supply in the future. Concerns about the end of fossil resources such as oil and gas, the dependence of these energies on global instabilities (such as the war in Ukraine), the pollution of these resources, as well as the cheaper equipment for extracting energy from solar and wind sources, have increased the desire of governments to use renewable energies. Is.
Hydrogen Role
In the steel production process, it is necessary to convert iron ore [which actually contains iron oxide] into iron. This process, which involves the deoxygenation of iron ore, is called reduction or reduction. Today, coking coal or natural gas is used to recover iron ore. Both of these methods produce carbon dioxide. But recently, new research projects have been implemented in which the recovery of iron ore is carried out with the help of hydrogen. A process that produces water instead of carbon dioxide.
Now What We Think...
Our thinking is that if steps are not taken to reduce carbon emissions and make steel production more economical in the country, our mining and steel industry will quickly lose its competitive advantage. We believe that a national movement is necessary to move towards green mining and steel. This work requires consensus and cooperation of a wide range of industrialists, researchers, academics and officials of the country. Sigmas was created to lead this movement.