Decarbonization of the Iron and Steel Sector: Challenges and Opportunities

With government mandates to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, decarbonizing the largest industrial emitters has become an essential research focus. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that industrial point sources in the United States (U.S.) emitted 1.45 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in 2022, accounting for 23 percent of all domestic CO₂ emissions for that year (Refs. 1,2). One of the largest contributors to industrial emissions is the iron and steel industry, which was responsible for 2.5 percent of total U.S. GHG emissions in 2023 (Ref. 3). Due to the large quantity of emissions available for capture from this industrial sector, iron/steel production facilities present an impactful opportunity for industrial decarbonization.