The decarbonisation of the steel sector is a central priority in achieving the EU Green Deal targets. One promising pathway involves replacing fossil coal with biobased alternatives—particularly biocoal derived from bio-waste. While woody biomass has shown potential, its use is constrained by high costs and limited feedstock availability. In contrast, converting waste into high value biocoal supports both climate goals and the EU’s vision for a circular economy.
However, challenges remain: to be suitable for use in steelmaking, bio-waste-based biocoal must meet stringent quality criteria, including low ash content and reduced levels of harmful elements such as phosphorus, potassium and sulphur. Interestingly, some of these elements—while undesirable in the steel sector—are highly valuable in agriculture, opening the door to innovative recovery and reuse strategies.
In the framework of the H2STEEL project, partners have developed and demonstrated advanced processes to upgrade the quality of biocoal obtained through bio-waste pyrolysis. These include chemical treatments and phosphorus recovery, enabling the dual use of biocoal as a reducing agent for steelmaking and a source of nutrient-rich fertilisers.
This workshop, organised by the Renewable Energy Consortium for Research and Demonstration (RE-CORD) as part of the H2STEEL project, will present recent findings, technical advances, and pilot-scale results focused on:
- Valorisation of sewage sludge and digestate
- Slow pyrolysis and biocoal quality
- Phosphorus recovery and circular applications
The workshop will be held online, via Microsoft Teams, on July 3rd, 2025 starting at 11:00 CEST. Participation is free, after registration.
Speakers
- David Chiaramonti – President of RE-CORD | Head of FitFor55-Foresight-Fuel Team, Politecnico di Torino
- Andrea Salimbeni – Head of Unit, Raw Materials & Carbon Recycling, RE-CORD
- Alessio Riorda – Ph.D. candidate, External lecturer and/or teaching collaborator, Politecnico di Torino
- Viviana Negro – Assistant Professor, Politecnico di Torino
- Niccolò Pezzati – R&D Chemistry Scientist, RE-CORD
Agenda
- 11:00 | Welcome & Introduction to H2STEEL
- 11:15 | Decarbonisation of the Steel Manufacturing Sector
- 11:30 | Methane Catalytic Pyrolysis for Hydrogen and Carbon Recovery
- 11:45 | Break
- 11:55 | Catalytic Biomethane Pyrolysis Using Biowaste-Derived Catalysts
- 12:10 | Biowaste Pyrolysis and Chemical Leaching for Biobased Catalyst Production
- 12:25 | Design, Construction, and Testing of a Proof-of-Concept System
- 13:00 | Conclusions
