Progress of CCUS technology in the iron and steel industry and the suggestion of the integrated application schemes for China

The iron and steel industry is a dominant carbon emission source in China. CCUS is an important potential technology for large-scale carbon reduction. However, due to the characteristics of multi-point source emissions of the iron and steel industry, the application is still in its infancy. Here, the research progresses of CCUS technology in the iron and steel industry are systematically reviewed, including the projects and novel materials. The maturity and applicability of various technologies were further analyzed by considering the CO2 emission characteristics of different steel-making processes. Finally, four kinds of integrated schemes of CCUS in the iron and steel industry were proposed, including “synergistic chemical utilization of hydrogen resource and CO2”, “steel slag mineralization and carbon fixation in coordination with solid waste disposal”, “microalgae biological carbon fixation collaborative wastewater treatment”, and “CO2 geological utilization and storage”. The applicability of the proposed integrated schemes were further analyzed based on the regional distribution of iron and steel enterprises in China. The results of this work were aimed at facilitating the application of CCUS in the iron and steel industry in China.