Abandoned Shells Including Oyster Shells Used as Limestone Substitute at Steelworks
[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] Hyundai Steel is recycling shells (such as oyster and clam shells), which have become an environmental issue due to the lack of proper disposal methods, at its steelworks.
On the 20th, Hyundai Steel announced that it plans to utilize lime powder made from processed shells in the "sintering" process, which converts powdered iron ore into a form suitable for blast furnace input.
Adding limestone during the iron ore sintering process improves productivity and reduces fuel costs in the blast furnace process, making the use of limestone essential in molten iron production.
Since 2014, Hyundai Steel has been developing technology to use shells in the sintering process and confirmed its substitutability through operational tests. In 2019, it collaborated with Yeosu Bio, a shell processing company in the Yeosu region, to produce shells as a limestone substitute and conduct a recycling environmental impact assessment. In September last year, quality and environmental impact evaluations were completed through simulation experiments.
Currently, a recycling environmental impact assessment for the limestone substitute use is underway under the Waste Management Act. Once approved by the National Institute of Environmental Research, the final approval authority, it will become the first case of shell recycling at a steelworks in Korea and is expected to serve as a model for wide-area resource recycling through cooperation among companies, local governments, and government agencies.
By replacing limestone with shells, Hyundai Steel anticipates solving environmental problems caused by abandoned shells that were not recycled and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by decreasing limestone usage.
Until now, shells have been classified as business waste under the Waste Management Act, limiting their use in various fields. As a result, large amounts of shells have been left unattended, causing ongoing environmental issues.
According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, of the 300,000 tons of oyster shells generated annually, only a portion is used as feed or fertilizer, while about 230,000 tons are discarded as is, with an estimated total of over 1 million tons currently abandoned.
A Hyundai Steel official said, "Shell recycling is an ESG management case of Hyundai Steel that addresses environmental issues and fulfills social responsibility," adding, "We plan to enhance corporate image through shell recycling and contribute to improving shell-related problems in the Gyeongnam and Jeonnam regions."
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