Green steel is no longer a concept - it’s becoming a competitive necessity in the global manufacturing landscape.

The steel industry accounts for nearly 7–9% of global carbon emissions. As sustainability regulations tighten, companies must rethink how steel is produced.

Key technology trends shaping this transformation include:

• Hydrogen-based Direct Reduced Iron (DRI)
• Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS)
• AI-driven process optimization
• Circular economy and scrap recycling innovations

Read Also: Green Steel Overview

How are industries reducing carbon footprints - and where is innovation really happening?

Technology Trends - For all three Pathways

Insight:

• Major patent priorities for circular economy are from the year 2018.
• Pangang is the major player with 56 patents filling. Out of 56 patents 48 patents are taking priority from the year 2017. All 48 patents focuses on circular economy pathway and 5 patents discloses about using circular economy and carbon direct avoidance pathway together.

Insight:

• The most number of patents are addressing about producing steel products with high strength.
• Out of 337 patent families 34 patent families are of Central South University and 27 patent families are of Pangang discussing about the high strength property of steel products.
• Central South University all 34 patent families includes both pathway circular economy and carbon direct avoidance pathway. Central South University patent families uses scrap steel and molten iron as starting material for the product formation. It’s patent families achieving carbon avoidance using Electric arc furnace and Induction furnace. Some of the patent families includes (CN109504906A, CN109504827A, CN109504912A, CN109371337A, CN109355597A).
• Pangang out of 27 patents of Pangang 16 patent families (CN107974618A, CN107955907A, CN107747058A, CN107955904A, CN107955903A) focuses on circular economy pathway and 3 patent families (CN109252106A, CN109161812A) discloses about using carbon direct avoidance pathway and 8 patent (CN102787206B, CN107828952A, CN107955910A, CN107955918A, CN107955919A) families discloses about both pathways, these processes incorporates scrap steel and iron as raw materials.
• The furnaces used by Pangang are electric furnaces, blast furnaces, LF furnaces. The steps for the production of high strength steel products such as steel bar and wire rod incorporated smelting, refining, cooling , casting, rolling, heat treatment.

Technology Trends - Circular Economy Pathway

Insight:

• Majority of patents in circular economy pathway consists of processes which incorporates recycling scrap steel.
• Major player having the most patent families filed in this category is Pangang with 34 patent families, the company is using scrap steel as raw materials.
• The furnaces used by Pangang are electric furnaces, blast furnaces, LF furnaces. The steps for the production of steel products such as steel bar and wire rod incorporated smelting, refining, cooling , casting, rolling, heat treatment.
• Central South University is also a major player in circular economy as they have also 34 patent families filed in this domain. 31 out of 34 patent families uses Electric arc furnace or Induction furnace.
• The major priority of patent families is been seen from the year 2017 to 2021. Central South University has 33 patent families taking priority form 2017-2021 while Pangang has 32 patent families in priority from 2017 to 2021.
• Recycling Scrap Steel is the process in which the scrap steel is refined and gone through other processes before using the steel as a raw material. (CN109182647A, CN113008047A)
• Reusing Scrap steel is when the scarp steel is directly used as a raw material without any refinement. (CN105149878A, CN110117748B)

Technology Trends – Carbon Direct Avoidance Pathway Slide

Insight:

• Nanjing Iron & Steel United (NISCO) is the top assignee with most patent families filed in the category of methods of producing products (wire rod & related products) out of 63 total patents 6 patents (CN111979374A, CN102416411B, CN101775461B, CN101736124B, CN113817968A) are filed by Nanjing Iron & Steel United (NISCO) these patents also discloses about using the carbon direct avoidance pathway.
• Jiangsu Institute of Research of Iron & Steel SHA Steel has 5 patent families filling which focuses on methods of producing products (wire rod & related products). all the 5 patents (CN105063474B, CN103255349B, CN111235466B, CN110607418B, CN110230008B) discloses about Carbon direct avoidance Pathway. The patents discloses about using scarp steel and iron as raw material, the furnaces used are electric arc furnace, the steps incorporated in the production of steel products such as steel wire and wire rod consists of rolling, casting, smelting, refining.

Insight:

• Jiangsu Institute of Research of Iron & Steel SHA Steel has 3 patent families filling which discloses about the use of electricity and all 3 patents are taking priority from the year 2014 and 2015. All the 3 patents (CN105063474B, CN103882303B, CN104278197B) discloses about Carbon direct avoidance Pathway. The patents discloses about using scarp steel and iron as raw material, the furnaces used are electric arc furnace, the steps incorporated in the production of steel products such as welding wires. RWTH Aachen University also has 2 non-patent publication for this category which discloses about using electricity for carbon direct avoidance methods.
• Majority of patent priorities are from the year 2011 to 2015.

Technology Trends – Smart Carbon Usage Slide

Insight:

• Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Union has 2 patent families (CN103276310A, CN104805354A) filling for Smart Carbon Usage Pathway both the patents discloses about using captured carbon usage method.
• Baowu Group also has 2 patent families (CN102776320A, CN113512683A) filed in smart carbon usage category which uses Process integration for Reduced Use of Carbon (+CCS) method.
• Anhui University of Technology has published 2 non-patent literature on smart carbon usage which discloses about using Process integration for use of carbon (+CCS) method.
• Hong Kong University has published 2 non-patent literature on smart carbon usage which discloses about using Process integration for use of carbon (+CCS) method.

Bibliographic Trends

IP Trend based on Geographical Origin based on Priority Country

Insight:

• Major patent filing has been observed in China, Pangang is the major player with 56 patents filling from china. Out of 56 patents 44 patents focuses on circular economy pathway, 4 focuses on Carbon direct avoidance pathway and 8 patents discloses about using both pathways.
• Central South University has 35 patent filling. All 35 patent families discloses about using both pathways which are carbon direct avoidance pathway and circular economy pathway.
• IP Trend based on Priority Filing Country

Insight:

• Major patent filing has been observed in China, Pangang is the major player with 56 patents filling from china. Out of 56 patents 44 patents focuses on circular economy pathway, 4 patent families (CN108893682B , CN109468534A , CN109252106A , CN109161812A) focuses on Carbon direct avoidance pathway and 8 patent families (CN102787206B, CN107828952A, CN107955910A, CN107955918A, CN107955919A) discloses about using both pathways, these processes incorporates scrap steel and iron as raw materials.
• The furnaces used by Pangang are electric furnaces, blast furnaces, LF furnaces. The steps for the production of steel products such as steel bar and wire rod incorporated smelting, refining, cooling , casting, rolling, heat treatment.
• Central South University has 35 patent family fillings. All patent families filed by Central South University discloses about using both circular economy and carbon direct avoidance pathways. The patents discloses about using scarp steel and iron as raw material, the furnaces used are LF furnace, blast furnace, electric arc furnace, the steps incorporated in the production of steel products such as steel wire and wire rod consists of rolling, casting, smelting, refining, cooling.

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