DiversEAFy

As a flagship sector of the Clean Industrial Deal, the European steel industry is facing a double challenge of decarbonation while maintaining competitiveness under harsh global conditions. Transition from the carbon-intensive integrated BF-BOF production route to low carbon scrap- and DRI/HBI-based EAF steelmaking is only possible if feedstock prices are kept in check. Given the limited supply of high-quality scrap and ores, the steel industry will be forced to deal with more diverse, lower quality input streams for which it is not yet equipped. DiversEAFy prepares Europe’s steel industry for this future by widening the usable feedstock pool and enhancing the digital transition. The project couples breakthrough sensor-based bulk scrap characterization with a sorting unit to remove tramp elements. Thermochemical modelling and fast at-line slag analysis are implemented in human-in-the-loop process control tools to steer each heat toward high-quality steel under variable scrap/DRI/HBI mixes. A new DRI-pellet reduction model explicitly captures gangue effects, enabling robust mix design where diverse feedstocks dilute each other’s burdens. To close the cross-sectoral gap left by declining blast-furnace slag supply, DiversEAFy converts EAF slags into high-value, low-carbon cement constituents through high-temperature modification and mineral carbonation, linking impurity speciation to leaching performance for safe market uptake and delivering a practical CCUS pathway. Industrial trials correlate lab insights with real-world operation, while EU-level scenarios of scrap availability/quality, combined with LCA, TEA and a business case, de-risk investment, guide scale-up and benchmark impact. Skills co-creation with operators and interoperable digital tools ensure durable adoption. Together, these measures create 2675 M€ additional revenues and accelerate the twin green-and-digital transition—keeping a strategic steel value chain competitive and firmly embedded in the EU.