Siemens is taking a long, hard look at efficiency at four U.S. steel mill clients. The company is in the process of evaluating blast furnace operations at each facility and proposing measures to reduce costs and improve efficiency, according to a press release.
For one company, Siemens is carrying out a process analysis for the hot-blast stove in advance of a modernization planned for 2010.
At a second steel mill, Siemens designed a new stove that will be installed this year.
At a third operation, Siemens expects to rebuild stoves in 2010 and 2011.
The fourth steel mill in the Midwest was relined last year by Siemens.
The EPA recently proposed that carbon emissions at major emitters, including steel mills, be reported to the government.
The U.S. Steel industry has reduced its energy intensity per ton of steel shipped by about 33 percent since 1990 - an improvement on the 29-percent reduction reported in 2006, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).
The results far surpass the mere 7 percent reduction (1990-2012) called for in the Kyoto Protocol, the institute observes.
