Tenova has five of its innovative techniques mentioned in the European Innovation Centre forIndustrial Transformation Emissions (INCITE) web platform.
Launched in 2024, INCITE identifies and evaluates emerging cutting-edge technologies andprocesses committed to decarbonization, depollution, and the increase of resource efficiency and circularity.
Tenova is a leading developer and provider of sustainable solutions for the green transition ofthe metals industry.
Among the technologies featured on the platform are Tenova’s solutions for steel production, including electric arc furnace (EAF) with Consteel® and Consteerrer® technologies, the open slag bath furnace (OSBF) for melting DRI, the iRecovery® and heat leap systems for heat recovery from EAF plants, Tenova KT for polymer injection in EAF, and Energiron for direct reduced Iron (DRI) production, jointly developed with Danieli.
The INCITE platform provides a comprehensive overview of the environmental benefits and performance, technology maturity, possible trade-offs, location, and costs benefit elements of these technologies. Of the five Tenova solutions, three are already fully operational:
Consteel®, a well-established EAF technology with more than 80 installations worldwide, is an efficient steelmaking process in which raw materials are continuously heated and charged into an EAF, where they are melted by immersion in the liquid steel present in the furnace, while simultaneously controlling gaseous emissions. Thanks to a joint technological effort and close collaboration, Tenovaand ABB have co-developed and successfully implemented Consteerrer®, enabling faster, safer, and more cost-effective liquid steel production.
iRecovery® is one of the leading technologies for recovering and reusing the thermal energy of off-gases directly within the EAF melting process — energy that is typically lost through steam generation. The saturated steam acts as an energy carrier for internal use, electricity generation, and district heating. The integration of the heat leap system, a high- performance heat pump, further enhances energy recovery by using low-temperature heat from the EAF cooling water to supply district heating networks.
Energiron, jointly developed by Tenova and Danieli, is a direct reduction process (DRP) that enables theproduction of reduced iron (DRI or HBI) using a vertical shaft furnace. This technology is among the leading solutions implemented worldwide for low-environmental- impact DRI production, thanks to the use of natural gas and hydrogen. DRP are typically followed by electric arc furnaces (EAF) to produce liquid steel (DRI/EAF process).
The other two Tenova solutions also included are:
- Open slag bath furnace (OSBF), currently under development and commercialized as iBlue®, is anAC electric furnace designed for melting DRI and producing pig iron. The intent of combining a direct reduction plant with a reducing furnace technology like the OSBF is primarily driven by the need to reduce carbon emissions associated with conventional pig iron production by the blast furnace route.
- Tenova KT Twin SRA and Tenova KT Multi enable the injection of recycled polymers as a substitute for coal through two specific systems that can be installed on the EAF wall. The former combines a supersonic oxygen injector with a polymer injector, while the latter allows the injection of both recycled polymers and lime using the same device.
In the RFCS OnlyPlastic project, funded by the European Commission, both injectors demonstrated goodperformance in terms of slag foaming, without carryover of solid material into the off-gas extraction system.
“We are very proud that Tenova’s innovative technology appear on the INCITE platform —confirming our role as pioneering developers of advanced and sustainable steelmaking techniques,” said Enrico Malfa, R&D director at Tenova.
More info: www.tenova.com
