Biomass Charcoal Use for Steel Making with Electric ARC Furnace

by Takafumi Hayashi

Publisher - Kyoei Steel Ltd.,Osaka, Japan

Category - General Novel

Palm oil production is a large industry in Malaysia and Indonesia. 16 –17 million tons of palm oil is produced every year in Malaysia and Indonesia each. Its production and the price in both countries are increasing every year in parallel with global food and energy tightness. Palm Kernel Shell (PKS) is a waste of this industry and generates 20-25 % of the palm oil weight. Charcoal made from the PKS is produced in relatively small scale for activated carbon use. Kyoei Steel Ltd., Osaka, Japan, and JP Steel Plantech Co, Yokohama, Japan, noticed that the properties of PKS charcoal were very similar to the coke which is widely used for steel industry, and tested its use in an electric arc furnace of Kyoei Steel, Osaka. The results were satisfactory, moreover better because of higher calorific value and lower ash and sulfur contents of PKS charcoal. After a test operation by Kyoei Steel, we tested again in an Indonesian arc furnace by using several grades of PKS charcoal with the cooperation of PT The Master Steel Mfg., Jakarta. As the CO2 generated from biomass is not regarded as Greenhouse Gas, use of biomass energy in steel industry can be a CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) project. We are proposing this CDM project to Malaysian and Indonesian steel companies and charcoal manufacturers to expand their production. In the report, the results of operation and feasibility study of the PKS use will be explained.

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