AgiFlex - Agent-based models minimizing carbon usage in flexible and efficient future integrated steelworks

Initial situation:

  • Steel production chains need significant changes to reduce CO2 emissions.
  • Investments must be planned under uncertain future framework conditions.
  • The replacement of fossil energy sources with intermittent renewable energy, particularly Hydrogen (H2) and electricity, will increase energy availability and price fluctuations.
  • Injecting H2-rich gases into blast furnaces (BF) and transitioning to direct reduction-electric arc furnaces (DR-EAF) will disrupt site-wide energy supply systems.
  • Process integration requires re-optimisation, particularly concerning gas and energy flows.
  • Current ICT (Information and Communications Technologies) tools lack of flexibility and optimisation capabilities need to address these challenges.

Project targets:

  • Develop a new ICT tool capable of monitoring, controlling and optimising process integration as well as energy and gas flows across the steel production chain.
  • Create digital twins of existing and future production processes and integrate them into a holistic optimisation framework.
  • Demonstrate the tool as a “digital AgiFlex plant” at two industrial sites at TRL (Technology Readiness Level) 7.
  • Verify the tool with existing data and tools to ensure reliability.
  • Assess future scenarios regarding renewable energy availability, plant conditions and gas management strategies (injection, utilisation, recycling and export).
  • Derive decarbonisation strategies and demand-side response control measures.

Innovative approaches:

  • Employ a highly innovative multi-agent approach for production and energy management.
  • Develop digital twins for comprehensive process presentation and integrate them into a holistic optimisation system.
  • Study future scenarios to evaluate different gas management options while considering process requirements, safety and economic viability.
  • Implement a modular and flexible system design to facilitate easy transfer to other steel plants.

Benefits for the industry:

  • Reduction of the carbon footprint through optimised process integration and energy flow management.
  • Enhanced decision-making for investments and plant transitions due to scenario analysis under future framework conditions.
  • Improved site-wide gas supply coordination when transitioning from BF (blast furnace) to DR-EAF (direct reduction-electric arc furnace) processes.
  • Increased operational flexibility and resilience against fluctuating energy availability and prices.
  • Simplified adaptation and transfer of the modular Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) tool across different steel production sites, supported by extensive dissemination efforts.

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