Ultra-Low Emission Strategies in Steel, Coking, and Cement Industries: Pathways to Decarbonization and Sustainability

Steel, coking and cement industries make up nearly 30% of global industrial CO2 emissions and are key to becoming net-zero. Although earlier research usually looked at each industry in isolation, this paper provides an overview of ULE strategies that examines both technology and policy together across the various industries. Recent improvements in hydrogen-based steelmaking, molten oxide electrolysis, coke dry quenching, catalytic reforming coke oven gas, alternative binders for cement and carbon capture are synthesized and evaluated for capacity, costs and environmental impact. The review uniquely compares what causes emissions in different sectors, how far away each technology is from being fully developed, how far digitization has advanced and what roadblocks stand in the way. The paper introduces new results on CO2 control, energy used in processes and marginal abatement costs to evaluate the practical feasibility of new technologies. AI controls, modular CCUS, hydrogen infrastructure and the industrial symbiosis framework are explored in terms of how they push the sector into transformation. Ultimately, the review suggests areas of research and policy such as combining electrification and CCUS into systems, creating free-to-use lifecycle tools and reforming institutions to support ULE use in SMEs and developing areas. This review sets out roadmaps using several approaches that show how ULE strategies could be applied across hard-to-abate sectors with both technical and institutional support.