Carbon footprint of coke-making in Europe and the cost-effectiveness of plant design: Optimization by using alternative reductants

Abstract

This study evaluates the potential of partially replacing coking coal—a critical raw material—with solid recovered fuel (SRF) pellets made from non-recyclable waste plastics. Total CO2 emissions and gross profit (GP) from metallurgical coke production in 2019, 2022, and 2023 were assessed across nine plant configurations under two scenarios: the Benchmark Scenario (BS) using only coking coal, and the AlterCoal Scenario (AS) replacing 2 wt% of the coking coal by SRF pellets. Results show indirect and total emissions in the AS decreased by 5.7 % and 6.4 %, respectively. Higher pellet density increased GP, though with a minor rise in emissions. Additionally, a linear correlation was found between GP and oven pushes: plants with fewer daily pushes—due to larger ovens—achieved greater profitability and GP per ton of direct CO2 emitted. These results provide guidelines for steel plants considering this process, thereby contributing to the broader goal of emission reduction.