Reuters reported that South Korea's POSCO plans to eventually halt carbon emissions by switching to a hydrogen based steelmaking process from 2021. POSCO accounts for 10% of the country's total carbon emissions.
Mr Park Ki hong EVP at POSCO said that "Our ultimate goal is to develop steel production technology not to emit any carbon dioxide."
No steelmaker yet uses the hydrogen steelmaking process, while industry experts noted some Japanese might also study it.
Mr Choi Doo jin a senior spokesman at POSCO told Reuters that "We are currently studying the hydrogen-steelmaking process. We hope to get hydrogen gas from small or mid-sized nuclear reactors, which are also under study by us."
POSCO hopes to switch from carbon to hydrogen gas to capture oxygen, a step that results in water produced as a byproduct instead of planet-warming carbon dioxide.
POSCO officials said the steelmaker is considering supplying hydrogen gas from its SMART nuclear reactors. It is looking at participating in a consortium for developing small or medium-sized nuclear reactors. The steelmaker, however, has not yet decided which energy resources they will use instead of coal as fuel to heat the furnace.
In the short term to 2012, POSCO plans to cut emissions by improving process efficiency. In addition to steelmaking process changes, POSCO is looking for new business opportunities in low carbon green growth areas, for instance, stationary fuel cells and synthetic natural gas.
POSCO earlier this year said it would spend KRW 3.35 trillion in a venture with the country's top refiner SK Energy to convert coal to synthetic natural gas, chemicals and liquids to cut South Korea's huge oil and gas import bill.
POSCO's plans come after South Korea this month set a voluntary 2020 emissions reduction target from 2005 levels. The target aims for a 30% reduction from a business as usual scenario. The government's emissions reduction pledge for the OECD's fastest growing carbon polluter was aimed at trying to meet demands from developing nations for wealthy South Korea to rein in its carbon pollution.
It also came weeks before crucial UN climate change talks in the Danish capital start on December 7th 2009 meant to agree on the broad outline of a future legally binding global agreement to fight climate change to replace or expand the existing Kyoto Protocol from 2013.
(Sourced from www.reuters.com)
