Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Life cycle inventory processes of the integrated steel plant (ISP) in Krakow, Poland-continuous casting of steel (CCS): a case study

  • LCI METHODOLOGY AND DATABASES
  • Published:
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to perform the life cycle inventory (LCI) to continuous casting of steel (CCS) process in integrated steel plant (ISP) in Krakow, Poland. The present LCI is representative for year 2015 by application of PN-EN ISO 14040 (2009). The system boundary was labeled as gate to gate. The background input and output data from the CCS has been inventoried as follows: consumption of energy and fuels, materials inputs, and waste.

Methods

In this paper, LCI CCS process on integrated permit (secondary data), literature information, and expert consultations was developed. The functional unit (FU) is represented by 1 t of steel slabs produced by CCS. Operating parameters as well as air emissions associated with the CCS process were presented. The production data (slabs) was given. The emissions of dust, Fe, PM10 and PM2.5, and waste (iron dust, iron particles, the others) are outcomes of the CCS processes.

Results and discussion

Annually production of steel slabs in CCS plant amounted to 200,000 t. Coke oven gas, natural gas, steam, air, oxygen, casting powders for crystallizer and for intermediate tundish, refractory material, oil, lubricant, argon, and industrial water amounts were in the order of 2,750,000 Nm3/year, 770,000 Nm3/year, 2000 t/year, 90,000,000 Nm3/year, 970 t/year, 1300 t/year, 810 t/year, 30 t/year, 45 t/year, 330 t/year, and 13,175,300 m3/year, respectively. The average heat and electric energy consumptions were about 0.023 to 0.068 GJ/t and 12.0 to 17.2 kWh/t, respectively. Emissions in air of dust, Fe, PM10, and PM2.5 were in the order of 1.3, 0.1, 0.5, and 0.44 kg/h, respectively. The amounts of iron dust and the other waste were 200 t/year and 240 t, respectively. No information is available on CO2 emission.

Conclusions

The LCI study resulted in the development of a database with an inventory of secondary data regarding CCS process referring to the year 2015. The scope of this study considered input items needed in CCS production (entry gate) to the final delivery of steel slabs (exit gate). The raw materials, supplies, and equipment to the CCS plant and infrastructure are not taken into consideration in the analysis. The FU is 1 t of steel slabs.

Recommendations and outlook

The LCI offers environmental information consisting of the list of environmental loads. The impact assessment phase aims to present more understandable results from the inventory analysis, and life cycle impact assessment will be the direction for future research.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bahadir ME (2016) Analysis of the environmental effects of international outsourcing: study of the iron casting industry. Sci Res Essays 11(16):160–173

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Baitz M, Bayliss C, Russell-Vaccari A (2016) Preface. Int J Life Cycle Assess 21(11):1541–1542

  • Bieda B (2011) Life cycle inventory of energy production in ArcelorMittal steel power plant Poland S.A. in Krakow, Poland. Int J Life Cycle Assess 16(6):503–511

  • Bieda B (2012a) Life cycle inventory processes of the ArcelorMittal Poland (AMP) S. A. in Kraków, Poland—basic oxygen furnace steel production: a case study. Int J Life Cycle Assess 17(4):463–470

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bieda B (2012b) Life cycle inventory processes of the Mittal Steel Poland (MSP) S. A. in Krakow—blast furnace pig iron production—a case study. Int J Life Cycle Assess 17(6):787–794

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bieda B, Grzesik K, Sala D, Gaweł B (2015) Life cycle inventory processes of the integrated steel plant (ISP) in Krakow, Poland—coke production, a case study. Int J Life Cycle Assess 20(8):1089–1101

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Broadbent C (2016) Steel’s recyclability: demonstrating the benefits of recycling steel to achieve a circular economy. Int J Life Cycle Assess 21:1658–1665

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burchart-Korol D (2013) Life cycle assessment of steel production in Poland: a case study. J Clean Prod 54:235–243

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burchart-Korol D, Korol J, Czaplicka-Kolarz K (2016) Life cycle assessment of heat production from underground coal gasification. Int J Life Cycle Assess 21:1391–1403

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • CEIC (2014) Database expansion: world steel crude steel production and continuously cast steel output January 17, 2014 - CEIC Data NewsAlert: Sector Database Expansion. https://www.ceicdata.com/en/blog/ceic-database-expansion-world-steel-crude-steel-production-and-continuously-cast-steel-output. Accessed 5 December 2016

  • Chao C-C (2001) Life cycle inventory for steel in Taiwan. Center for Environmental, Safety & Health Technology Development Industrial Technology Research Institute 42:1–11 http://enger.thu.edu.tw/files/archive/108_4d6fb596.pdf. Accessed 12 June 2017

    Google Scholar 

  • Chomkhamsri K, Mungcharoen T, Yuvaniyama C (2016) 10-year experience with the Thai national LCI database: case study of refinery products. Int J Life Cycle Assess. doi:10.1007/s11367-016-1160-3

  • Continuous Casting Schematic (2011) Industrial efficiency technology database. http://ietd.iipnetwork.org/content/continuous-casting. Accessed 5 December 2016

  • Davidson AJ, Binks SP, Gediga J (2016) Lead industry life cycle studies: environmental impact and life cycle assessment of lead battery and architectural sheet production. Int J Life Cycle Ass 21:1624–1636

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Di Maria F, Micale C, Contini S (2016) A novel approach for uncertainty propagation applied to two different bio-waste management options. Int J Life Cycle Assess 21:1529–1537

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • EUR-lex (2012) http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2012/135/oj. Accessed 18 December 2015

  • Finnveden G, Hauschild MZ, Ekvall T, Guinée J, Heijungs R, Hellweg S, Koehler A, Pennington D, Suh S (2009) Recent development in life cycle assessment. J Environ Manag 91:1–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galdiz P, Palacios J, Arana JL, Thomas BG (2014) Round continuous casting with EMS-CFD coupled. ECCC 2014, (European Continuous Casting Conference, Graz, Austria, June 23–26, 2014) http://ccc.illinois.edu/PDF%20Files/Publications/2014%20Papers/14_GALDIZ-P%20Round%20CC%20with%20EMS%20CFD%20Coupled%20ECCC2014.pdf. Accessed 19 December 2016

  • Gallagher WP (1978) The corrosion behavior of ship-steel plates rolled from continuous-cast slabs. The Journal of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society 30:5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gielen D, Moriguchi Y (2002a) Modelling CO2 policies for the Japanese iron and steel industry. Environ Model Softw 17(5):481–495

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gielen D, Moriguchi Y (2002b) CO2 in the iron and steel industry: an analysis of Japanese emission reduction potentials. Energy Policy 30(10):849–863

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gómez P, Elduque D, Sarasa J, Pina C, Javierre C (2016) Influence of composition on the environmental impact of a cast aluminum alloy. Materials 9(6):412. doi:10.3390/ma9060412 

  • Herfurth K, Elmkvist H, Reif K (2005) Continuous cast iron for innovative parts manufacture. konstruieren + giessen 30 H. 3, pp 1020

  • Hibbeler LC, Langeneckert MM, Iwasaki J, Hwang I, Brian G, Thomas BG, O’Malley RJ (2013) Calibration of thermal models of steel continuous casting molds. AISTech 2013—The Iron & Steel Technology Conference and Exposition, Pittsburgh, PA. AIST Transactions 10(5):199–211

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang Z, Ding X, Sun H, Liu S (2010) Identification of main influencing factors of life cycle CO2 emissions from the integrated steelworks using sensitivity analysis. J Clean Prod 18(10–11):1052–1058

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hunkeler D, Rebitzer G (2005) Editorial: the future of life cycle assessment. Int J Life Cycle Assess 10(5):305–307

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iosif A-M, Birat J-P, Mirgaux O, Ablitzer D (2009) Reduction of CO2 emissions in the steel industry based on LCA methodology. TMS - CO2 Reduction Metallurgy, San-Francisco. http://www.ulcos.org/en/docs/Ref33%20-%20TMS_CO2_correct_1.pdf

  • Iosif A-M, Hanrot F, Birat J-P, Ablitzer D (2010) Physicochemical modelling of classical steelmaking route for life cycle inventory analysis. Int J Life Cycle Assess 15:304–310

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ISO 14040 (2006) Environmental management—life cycle assessment—principles and framework. http://www.iso.org/iso/catalogue_detail?csnumber=37456. Accessed 16 December 2016

  • Ison E, Miller A (2000) The use of LCA to introduce life-cycle thinking into decision-making for the purchase of medical devices in the NHS. J Env Ass Pol Manag 2(4):453–476

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Journal of Laws (2001) No 62, Item 627 of 27 Avril 2001. http://isap.sejm.gov.pl/DetailsServlet?id=WDU20010620627. Accessed 6 December 2016

  • Journal of Laws (2002) No 122, Item 1055 of 26 July 2002. http://www.prawo.egospodarka.pl/akty/dziennik-ustaw/2002/122/1055. Accessed 18 December 2016

  • Journal of Laws (2013) Item 1232 of 23 October 2013 http://isap.sejm.gov.pl/DetailsServlet?id=WDU20130001232. Accessed 11 December 2016

  • Kim Y, Worrell E (2002) International comparison of CO2 emission trends in the iron and steel industry. Energy Policy 30(10):827–838

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • KOBiZE (2014) Wartości opałowe (WO) i wskaźniki emisji CO2 (WE) w roku 2014 do raportowania w ramach Wspólnotowego Systemu Handlu Uprawnieniami do Emisji za rok 2017. http://www.kobize.pl/pl/article/monitorowanie-raportowanie-weryfikacja-emisji/id/318/tabele-wo-i-we. Accessed 12 June 2017

  • Kulczycka J, Henclik A (2009) Ocena wpływu cyklu życia procesów wytwórczych na Wydziałach Surowcowych i Wytwarzania Stali Huty ArcelorMittal Poland SA, Oddział w Krakowie, Polish Akademy of Sciences, Krakow (in Polish)

  • Kulczycka J, Kurczewski P, Kasprzak J, Lewandowska A, Lewicki R, Witczak A, Witczak J (2011) The Polish Centre for Life Cycle Assssment—the centre for life cycle assessment in Poland. Int J Life Cycle Assess 16(5):442–444

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindfors LG, Christiansen K, Hoffman L, Virtanen Y, Juntilla V, Hanssen OJ, Rønning A, Ekvall T, Finnvenden G (1995) Nordic guidelines on life-cycle assessment, Nird 1995: 20. Nordic Council of Ministers, Copenhagen

    Google Scholar 

  • Millet D, Bistagnino L, Lanzavecchia C, Camous R, Poldma T (2007) Does the potential of the use of LCA match the design team needs? J Clean Prod 15(4):335–346

  • Morales M, Quintero J, Aroca G (2017) Environmental assessment of the production and addition pf bioethanol produced from Eucalyptus globulus to gasoline in Chile. Int J Life Cycle Assess 22:525–536

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ogłoszenie (2014) Ogłoszenie o udzieleniu przez Marszałka Województwa Małopolskiego pozwolenia zintegrowanego. http://bip.malopolska.pl/umwm/Article/get/id,972964.html. Accessed 31 March 2015

  • PE International (2014) Harmonization of LCA methodologies for metals, version 1.01. http://www.euromines.org/files/publications/harmonization-lca-methodologies-metals.pdf. Accesed 29 October 2016

  • Petrus B, Zheng K, Zhou X, Brian G, Thomas BG, Bentsman J (2011) Real-time, model-based spray-cooling control system for steel continuous casting. Metall Mater Trans B Process Metall Mater Process Sci 42B:87–103

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • PN-EN ISO 14040 (2009) Environmental management—life cycle assessment—principles and framework (2009)

  • Remus R. Monsonet MAA, Roudier S, Sancho D (2013) Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference Document for Iron and Steel Production. JRC Reference Report. Industrial Emissions Directive 2010/75/EU (Integated Pollution Prevention and Control). http://eippcb.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reference/BREF/IS_Adopted_03_2012.pdf. Accessed 15 December 2016

  • Rönnlund I, Reuter M, Horn S, Aho J, Aho M, Päällysaho M, Ylimäki L, Pursula T (2016a) Eco-efficiency indicator framework implemented in the metallurgical industry: part 1-a comprehensive view and benchmark. Int J Life Cycle Assess 21:1473–1500

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rönnlund I, Reuter M, Horn S, Aho J, Aho M, Päällysaho M, Ylimäki L, Pursula T (2016b) Eco-efficiency indicator framework implemented in the metallurgical industry: part 2-a case study from the copper industry. Int J Life Cycle Assess 21:1719–1748

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Selech J, Joachimiak-Lechman K, Kłos Z, Kulczycka J, Kurczewski P (2014) Life cycle thinking in small and medium enterprises: the results of research on the implementation of life cycle tools in Polish SMEs-part 3: LCC related aspects. Int J Life Cycle Assess 19(5):1119–1128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sengupta J, Trinh M-K, Currey D, Thomas BG (2009) Utilization of CON1D at ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s No. 2 Continuous Caster for Crater End Determination. Assoc. Iron Steel Tech., Warrendale, PA, Vol. 1. http://ccc.illinois.edu/PDF%20Files/Publications/09_SENGUPTA_J%20%20Utilization%20of%20CON1D%20at%20ArcelorMittal%20Dofasco%202%20CC%20for%20Crater%20End%20Determination_AISTech.pdf. Accessed 11 December 2016

  • Seto KE, Panesar DK, Churchill CJ (2017) Criteria for the evaluation on life cycle assessment software packages and life cycle inventory data with application to concrete. Int J Life Cycle Assess 22:694–706

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sonnemann G. Castells F, Schumacher M (2004) Integrated life-cycle and risk assessment for industrial processes. LEWIS PUBLISHERS. A CRC Press Company

  • SOWA L, BOKOTA A (2011) Numerical model of thermal and flow phenomena the process growing of the cc slab. Archives and Metallurgy and Materials 56(2):359–366. doi:10.2478/v10172-011-0038-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Suh S, Leighton M, Tomar S, Chen C (2016) Interoperability between ecoinvent ver. 3 US LCI database: a case study. Int J Life Cycle Assess 21:1290–1290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas BG (2001) Continuous casting of steel. Chapter 15 in Modeling for Casting and Solidification Processingx, O. Yu, editor, Marcel Dekker, New York, NY, 2001, pp 499–540

  • Thomas BG, Liu R, Rietow B (2014) Combining models and measurements to better understand steel continuous casting. European Continuous Casting Conference, ECCC2014, Graz, Austria, June 23–26, 2014, http://ccc.illinois.edu/PDF%20Files/Publications/2014%20Papers/16_THOMAS-BG%20Combining%20Models%20Measurements%20to%20Understand%20CC%20-ECCC2014.pdf. Accessed 11 December 2016

  • de Udo Haes HA, Heijungs R, Suh S, Huppes G (2004) Three strategies to overcome the limitations of life-cycle assessment. J Ind Ecol 8(3):19–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Westfall LA, Davourie J, Ali M, McGough D (2016) Cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment of global manganese alloy production. Int J Life Cycle Assess 21(11):1573–1579

  • Witczak J, Kasprzak J, Kłos Z, Kurczewski P, Lewandowska A, Lewicki R (2014) Life cycle thinking in small and medium enterprises: the results of research on the implementation of life cycle tools in Polish SMEs—part 2: LCA related aspects. Int J Life Cycle Assess 19(4):891–900

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xue B, Ma Z, Geng Y, Heck P, Ren W, Tobias M, Maas A, Jiang P, de Puppim Oliveira JA, Fujita T (2015) A life cycle co-benefits assessment of wind power in China. Renew Sust Energ Rev 41:338–346

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yanmaz M, Kaya D (2012) ULTRA—low carbon dioxide (CO2) steelmaking. International Iron & Steel Symposium, 02–04 April 2012, Karabük, Türkiye. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.452.6950&rep=rep1&type=pdf. Accessed 11 December 2016

  • Yasin S, Behary N, Rovero G, Kumar V (2016) Statistical analysis of use-phase energy consumption of textile products. Int J Life Cycle Assess 21:1776–1788

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Management Department, AGH University of Science and Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059, Kraków, Poland

    Boguslaw Bieda, Iwona Skalna, Bartłomiej Gaweł & Dariusz Sala

  2. Faculty of Mining Surveying and Enviromental Engineering, AGH University of Science and Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059, Kraków, Poland

    Katarzyna Grzesik

  3. Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Wybickiego 7, 31-261, Kraków, Poland

    Anna Henclik

Authors
  1. Boguslaw Bieda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Iwona Skalna
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Bartłomiej Gaweł
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Katarzyna Grzesik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Anna Henclik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Dariusz Sala
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Boguslaw Bieda.

Ethics declarations

Research is not involving human participants and/or animals.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Zbigniew Stanislaw Klos

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bieda, B., Skalna, I., Gaweł, B. et al. Life cycle inventory processes of the integrated steel plant (ISP) in Krakow, Poland-continuous casting of steel (CCS): a case study. Int J Life Cycle Assess 23, 1274–1285 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-017-1365-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-017-1365-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation