ULCOS - Pilot testing of the Low-CO 2 Blast Furnace process at the experimental BF in Luleå

The ULCOS blast furnace process aims at reducing the CO2 emission of the blast furnace by 50% in two steps:
Decrease of carbon consumption by recycling most of the top gas after CO2 removal, which requires operating the blast furnace with pure oxygen;
Underground storage of CO2 . 
The first stage is essential to demonstrate the feasibility of this new process. It has been tested over a 6 week campaign at the LKAB experimental BF in Lulea. The facility was adapted specifically for the trials (including the erection of a VPSA plant). Different operating conditions were investigated. In conclusion, and taking into account underground storage, the CO2 emission at the blast furnace was reduced by up to 76%. For the steelmaking plant, this should result in a net CO2 -savings of 65% at the level of the hot rolled coil.