The steel industry is responsible for 5% of total energy consumption and contributes 6% of CO₂ emissions worldwide [1]. Brazil produces around 30% of the world's charcoal and a large part of this is used to produce pig iron, ferroalloys and silicon metal. There is a large proportion of artisanal production in the country and pressure for sustainable production systems has led to the development of new clean technologies with higher yields [2]. There are a total of 21 types of carbonization furnaces, of which there are 172 patents with various improvements to the carbonization process [3].

Residues from rice, maize, soy, wheat and other crops such as bambo have high energy potential, and these sources can contribute to increasing electricity generation [4]. The carbonization process has evolved, as has furnace productivity, and making full use of the energy contained in biomass has reached technological limits [5]. With finite natural resources and an industry that is intensive for the development of society, it is necessary to develop alternatives in the direction of the circular economy [6].

This article carries out an analysis of the availability of maize waste and bamboo biomass in Brazil, as well as a review of the optimized carbonization process, where there is use of the gases generated and co-products from the pyrolysis process. The article also evaluates a charcoal generation process that can be adapted to the conditions of biomass availability in the regions of Brazil.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) [1], the steel sector, among heavy industries, ranks first in CO2 emissions and second in energy consumption. Iron and steel are directly responsible for 2.6 gigatons of carbon dioxide (GT CO2) emissions annually, accounting for 7% of the total global energy system. The Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) of the IPCC (United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) of 2023 [2], containing a comprehensive study on the climate situation of the planet, has shown in a worrying way that the goals established on December 12, 2015, in the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to less than 2, preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius, are increasingly out of reach. Brazil is the largest steel producer in Latin America and the ninth largest in the world, according to the Instituto Aço Brasil [3]. Brazil's energy park has large renewable energy sources (hydroelectric, wind, solar and biomass plants), reaching 93.1% of electricity generation in 2023, E3G [4].In this way, with the decarbonization process of steel production, combined with the use of Biochar, green hydrogen, will make Brazil a major player in the production of green steel.This study aims to evaluate the ways and processes in which Brazil has been planning its decarbonization, thus contributing to achieving the goals of the Paris agreement.

The steelmaking industry is of fundamental importance in the energy context of Brazil, being characterized as one of the major consumers of electricity in the country. To be competitive in the global market, the steelmaking industry needs to show an excellent strategic plan. This plan includes efficient energy planning, seeking to make better use of resources, low environmental impacts and operating costs [1]. The thermoelectric power plants of coke integrated steelmaking industry demonstrate great economic potential, since they make use of the waste gases from the process [2]. The aim of this work is to analyze, from the environomic viewpoint, the thermoelectric power plant, observing the influence of hydrogen addition. The generation of hydrogen is by water electrolysis, driven by photovoltaic power. The methodology comprises of using a computational model created with Scilab [3]. For model validation, the actual data from the thermal power plant is used. Thermoeconomic modeling aims to obtain a system of cost equations that mathematically represents the cost formation process in the plant [4]. The computer simulations use seven scenarios of possible fuel mixtures, using the BFG, LDG, COG, and H2. The results indicate that up to 30% of hydrogen with BFG is possible to obtain energy and exergy efficiency equivalent to scenario zero that most represents the operation of the thermoelectric plant and still reduce the fuel cost [5]. The importance of energy management in an organization is highlighted in terms of potential financial gains and cost reductions. Scenario 0 based the real operating model showed lower exergetic efficiency 23.87%.