US: The US Department of Energy has awarded a grant of US$1.5m to a combined industry and academic team led by Cornell University’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The team will research uses of slag and other waste products from steel production. The study aims to investigate the overall material efficiency of steel production in order to reduce waste. It will explore several avenues, including the use of recovered silica for heavy metals capture at industrial plants and the synthesis of calcium carbonate from slag for use in steel production. Additionally, the team hopes to produce useable iron oxide from the by-products.

Assistant professor Greeshma Gadikota said, “This exciting project directly addresses our societal mission of meeting our resource needs in an environmentally sustainable manner. Iron and steel use is ubiquitous in our infrastructure.” She added that the study is “A unique opportunity to engage and train our students in developing innovative technologies that are central to our ability to live.” The study’s title is ‘Integrated reuse and co-utilisation of slag, sludge and dust with inherent heavy metal capture and nanoscale calcium carbonate production as an enhanced fluxing agent in steel plants.’

UK: DB Group and Wolfenden Concrete have announced the upcoming launch of Supa Green, a range of cement-free agricultural concrete products produced using DB Group’s Cemfree technology. The partnership says that this assures a 62% maximum CO₂ reduction compared to concrete products made with Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). It further says that the products have increased acid resistance. Cemfree is a low carbon concrete made using ground blast furnace slag (GGBS) and pulverised fly ash.

DB Group chief executive officer Wayne Zakers said, “DB Group’s mission is to improve the durability and sustainability of construction, working most intimately with our innovative partners. Working with Wolfenden will enable us to embed that innovation within the agricultural sector and to extend the benefits of our Cemfree technology to dairy farmers across the UK. The testing of Supa Green products has proven extremely successful, and so we look forward to the launch of the range, and to helping Wolfenden’s customers meet and exceed environmental targets.”

World: Global steel production was 1.86Bnt in 2020, down by 1% year-on-year from 1.88Bn in 2019. The decrease is the first since 2015. The sharpest declines were recorded in the US (17%), Japan (16%), the EU (12%) and India (11%). Chinese steel production rose for a sixth consecutive year to 1.05Bnt, up by 5% from 1.00Bnt. The rest of the world produced 811Mt, down by 8% from 879Mt. China’s share of world steel production rose to 57% from 53%.

Russia: The Ministry of Energy has launched its roadmap for the use of slag and ash by the cement industry and in road building. Soyuztsement has reported that the roadmap lists pilot projects for the products’ use. Currently, 5 – 7% of ash and slag waste (ASW) is used. Under its Comprehensive Plan to Increase the Utilisation of Solid Fuel Combustion Products bill, published in mid-2020, the ministry plans to increase the ASW utilisation rate across Russia to 50% by 2035. This amount could cut 6.2Mt/yr of the cement industry’s direct CO2 emissions, corresponding to under 1% of its emissions in 2020. Additionally, it would lead to the production of lighter and reduce the thermal conductivity of concrete.

The bill is due for submission before the Russian parliament in April 2021, followed by a second bill to provide for incentives to slag and ash producers in September 2021.