NRRI: Iron and steel industries are all in for 'decarbonization'

Minnesota has an abundance of iron ore mineral resources. The Mesabi Iron Range produces some 40 million tons of taconite pellets annually, providing 75 - 85 percent of the U.S. domestic iron for steel production.

Fossil coal and natural gas provide the energy and the carbon essential for iron and steelmaking. Minnesota’s iron industry has made significant strides to reduce energy consumption, but the global iron and steel industry contributes approximately nine percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions.

Discussions around significantly reducing carbon emissions of the iron and steel industries reach from the United Nations to Washington, D.C. to northern Minnesota. An important focus is on transitioning from blast furnace taconite pellets to higher iron content pellets used in electric arc furnaces which emit about half the carbon dioxide in the steelmaking process.

Click here to view the original article from the UMD Natural Resources Research Institute.