AIST Decarbonization Subcommittee Webinar: Decarbonization – Blast Furnace Route Decarbonization Pathways, Part II

11 November 2025 • Zoom • 9–10:30 a.m. EDT

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About the Program

Many in the world recognize that decarbonization of heavy industry is necessary to help reduce the potential of global warming. Many also anticipate that a shift from blast furnace ironmaking to other lower-carbon forms of ironmaking would be needed. However, due to difficulties implementing lower-carbon alternate ironmaking technologies, the proportion of steel made by the blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) route remains unchanged at approximately 72%. Moreover, since 2007, the CO2 intensity of steelmaking has risen by more than 5%. The goal for this webinar is to learn how the practical, and pragmatic, technologies which are currently available can achieve significant reductions in carbon emissions now from existing blast furnace and BOF facilities — well before cutting-edge technologies can be commercialized.

Registration Fees

US$0 for AIST members, US$50 for non-members. 

Available Sponsorships

Event Sponsor – 1 available US$3,500

  • Name recognition for specific webinar on upcoming webinar calendar.
  • Sponsor logo and hyperlink included in electronic promotions.
  • Sponsor logo and hyperlink on specific webinar page.
  • Sponsor logo on webinar registration page.
  • Sponsor can provide a message (2–3 sentences) for host to read during opening webinar remarks.
  • Verbal recognition by host at end of webinar.
  • Recognition in thank-you message to all participants when the webinar ends.
  • Sponsor will receive a list of all webinar participants (name, company, country).
  • Three AIST memberships for non-members only.

Moderators

Joe Morey, Owner, Morey Industrial Consulting,
Joe Morey is the owner of Morey Industrial Consulting, who provides primary steelmaking advisory services specializing in assisting companies reduce their carbon footprint at the best overall cost and value. His active client list includes Limelight Steel and Ozinga Cement, two companies poised to make an impact on this effort. He has over 28 years of international operational and technical steelmaking experience with United States Steel Corporation. Morey is a current member of the AIST Board of Directors and is the vice chair for the AIST Decarbonization Subcommittee.

Madhu Ranade, General Manager of Raw Materials Strategy and Supply, Steel Dynamics Inc. – Flat Roll Group

Madhu Ranade is the general manager of raw materials strategy and supply for Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) – Flat Roll Group. He joined Steel Dynamics after more than 30 years of career with ArcelorMittal and its predecessor companies. He started his career in R&D and advanced through technical, operational, managerial, and leadership roles to become the vice president of ArcelorMittal. He served first as the general manager of Indiana Harbor and then of Burns Harbor Works. In 2013, he switched to the mini-mill sector, successfully serving as SDI’s vice president and general manager of its modern electric furnace mini-mill in Columbus, Miss., USA, for 8 years. Recently, he was named an AIST Distinguished Member and Fellow.

Presentation 1: Realistic and Effective Technologies to Reduce BF-BOF CO2 Emissions, Reinoud (RJ) van Laar, Senior Technology Manager, Danieli Corus BV

Presentation Abstract: This webinar will discuss realistic and effective technologies to reduce BF-BOF CO2 emissions in the coming years. These technologies include the implementation of BATs (best available technology) and other modern technologies to reduce crude steelmaking emissions to ~2 tCO2/tCS, but also more advanced methods to reduce these emissions to less than 1.6 tCO2/tCS.

The focus will be on reduction of BF CO2 emissions by effective usage of gas and optimization of burden. A comparison will be provided between injecting gas (NG, COG, H2) in the BF and using either one reducing gas for production of direct reduced iron (DRI) and charging this DRI in the BF. A comparison will also be made with TGR-OBF (top gas recycling and oxygen blast furnace). Furthermore, a pathway for changes to converter steelmaking will be introduced.

The technologies addressed in the webinar have already been demonstrated on an industrial scale and are ready for immediate implementation. These technologies offer a realistic pathway to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 40% without the technological risk associated with other emerging iron- and steelmaking technologies. 

Presenter Bio

Reinoud (RJ) van Laar has a M.Sc. degree in applied physics at Delft University of Technology. He’s been employed within the ironmaking plant engineering and technology departments of Hoogovens Technical Services and Danieli Corus in The Netherlands since 1996. More recently he’s been assigned to the BF-BOF decarbonization technology development team. Danieli Corus is part of Danieli group which comprises plant engineering and steelmaking divisions.

Presentation 2: Modernizing the BF/BOF to Minimize CO2 Emissions, David Osborne, Head of Blast Furnace Technology, Primetals Technologies, and Gerald Wimmer, Vice President of Converter Steelmaking, Primetals Technologies

Abstract: Primetals Technologies will present some of the currently available measures that can be applied to existing blast furnace and BOF facilities to reduce CO2 emissions. The discussion will assess what a “good” blast furnace looks like, what current options for decarbonization exist and what might the future bring. Options for reducing the carbon emissions from the BOF will also be given, and — to understand the future potential of the BOF — a look at some of the possible future steelmaking process routes will close out the presentation.

Presenter Bios

David Osborne has a master of engineering degree in chemical engineering from Imperial College London. He graduated in 1990 and took a position as a process engineer with Davy McKee in Stockton. Since then, he has undertaken various engineering, commissioning, sales and R&D ironmaking roles around the world within the organization. He is currently the head of blast furnace technology in Primetals Technologies.

Gerald Wimmer has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Vienna University of Technology and an M.B.A. He graduated in 2009 and took a position as a simulation expert with Siemens VAI in Linz, Austria. Since then, he has undertaken various technology, engineering, and R&D roles around the world within the organization. He is currently the vice president of converter steelmaking at Primetals Technologies with a focus on green transition.