Abstract:
In Pakistan, the iron and steel industry is a leading manufacturing sector that plays a significant
role in the national economy and social development. However, it consumes a significant amount
of energy, produces various emissions, and generates wastages. An assessment of environmental
burdens may enable us to review and improve the environmental outlook of this sector. However,
there is limited research on this topic. Thus, the objective of this study is to evaluate the
environmental impacts of a mini steel mill (manufacturing plant). The system boundary includes
scrap melting, continuous casting, and rolling processes, representing the gate-to-gate steel
production. Primary data were collected from a steel production plant, located in Islamabad,
Pakistan. The study utilizes SimaPro V9.4 software as the modeling tool and the Recipe method
to map various impact categories. The results were discussed at both the midpoint and endpoint
levels. The scrap melting process was found with higher impacts in most of midpoint impact
categories, including global warming, acidification, ozone depletion, etc. This was mainly because
of the energy intensive nature of melting process and coal-based energy generation at the plant.
After melting, it was the continuous casting process that generated more impacts, and it was
followed by the rolling process. At the endpoint (damages) level, the scrap melting caused more
damage to all three areas of protection (human health, ecosystems and resources) than any other
production process. The results were calculated for the scenario if the plant is run with cleaner
energy sources, such as solar energy. The results were compared with the baseline scenario to
show the reduced environmental impacts and discuss potential decarbonizing opportunities.
Overall, this study offers valuable insights for the policymakers, practitioners and related
researchers who are seeking to promote sustainable and cleaner steel production, especially in the
developing world.
