Making better use of carbon:Part II — The co-production of iron and liquid fuels

CIM Bulletin, Vol. 85, No. 959, 1992

John H. Walsh, Energy Advisor

There are three main themes in this paper: it is assumed that measures to control carbon dioxide emissions will in fact be necessary by the turn of the century; that there will be a rising need for liquid fuels to supply the world's steadily growing fleet of motor vehicles for many years to come, and that the future niche for Canada's industry in such a carbon-constrained world will be the operation of the energy-intensive industries with efficiency and environmental sensitivity.The steel industry, as a large user of both coal and energy in other forms, would be significantly affected by a need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. This paper first examines what might be called the conventional responses open to the industry in such a situation and then explores a new possibility for making better use of carbon by the co-production of iron and liquid fuels.

Keywords: Metallurgy, Carbon, Iron, Liquid fuels, Fossil fuels, Global warming, Carbon dioxide emissions.