Life cycle inventory processes of the Mittal Steel Poland (MSP) S.A. in Krakow, Poland—blast furnace pig iron production—a case study

PurposeThe goal of this paper is to describe the life cycle inventory (LCI) approach of pig iron produced by Mittal’s Steel Poland Blast Furnace (MSPBF) in Krakow, Poland. The present LCI is representative for the reference year 2005 by application of PN-EN ISO 14040: 2009 (PN-EN ISO 2009). The system boundaries were labeled as gate-to-gate (covering a full chain process of pig iron production). The background input and output data from the blast furnace (BF) process have been inventoried as follows: sinter, several types of pellets, ore (from Brazil or Venezuela), limestone, coke, and from 2005 coal powder, pig iron, blast furnace gas, blast furnace slug, consumption of energy and fuels, including: pulverized coal, natural gas, blast furnace gas and coke oven gas, and emission of air pollutants.Main featureLCI energy generation was developed mainly on the basis of following sources: site specific measured or calculated data, study carried out by Mittal Steel Poland (MSP) Environmental Impact Report, study carried out by the Faculty of Mining Surveying and Environmental Engineering of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, literature information, and expert consultations. The functional unit is represented by 1,504,088 Mg of pig iron, produced BF process. Time coverage is 2005. Operating parameters as well as air emissions associated with the BF process were presented. The production data (pig iron) was given. The emissions of SO2, NO2, CO, CO2, aliphatic hydrocarbons, dust, heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Mn), and waste are the most important outcomes of the pig iron process.ResultsWith regard to 1,504,088 Mg of pig iron produced by MSP, the consumption of coke, pulverized coal, sinters, pellets, and natural gas were 808,509, 16,921, 1,669,023, and 914,080 Mg, respectively. Other material consumption, industrial water, was 1,401,419 m3/year.ConclusionsThe LCI study is the first tentative study to express pig iron production in Poland in terms of LCA/LCI for the pig iron in steel industry. The results may help steel industry government make decisions in policy making. Presentation of the study in this paper is suitable for the other industries.Recommendations and outlookThe LCI offers environmental information consisting on the list of environmental loads. The impact assessment phase aims the results from the inventory analysis more understandable and life cycle impact assessment will be direction for future research. Another issue to discuss is integration of LCA and risk assessment for industrial processed.