An insight on the greenhouse gas emission from the metals process industries and its effects on climate change

Abstract

The metals process the industry is a source of Greenhouse Gas (GHG), and the major components of these gases are CO 2 , CH 4 , N 2 O and Fluorinated gases (F-gases). The GHG is responsible for global warming potentials (GWP) and climate change. 1,2 However, the common source of GHG emission is electricity production from fossil fuel to operate metals industries and as well from metals processing. 3 The carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is about 65 percent. 4 The methane is the second-largest carbon in GHG after CO 2 , which accounted for 16 percent of global emission. The effect of CH 4 on GWP and climate change is about 25 percent higher than CO 2. 5,6 Nitrous oxide is also a part of GHG in the atmosphere, and its contribution to GHG is about 6 percent. It has been reported that the metal process industries are a major emission source of N 2 O. 7,8 The Fluorinated gas is a part of GHG and has a significant effect on climate change. The fact is the process of the metal industries are associated with Fluorinated gas emission. This gas includes hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride SF6. 9,10 The Magnesium (Mg), Zinc, Lead, and other metals processing industries are the emitter of this gas. 11 However, in a report, IEA stated that the burning of fossil fuel for electricity production to operate heavy industries like Iron, and Aluminum, Zinc. Magnesium and copper and significantly responsible for GWP. 4,12 Operations of metals process industries and problem in managing enviromental pollutions The metals process industries are responsible for a significant amount of carbon emission. The Steel, Aluminium, Copper, Zinc, and Magnesium process industries are the emitting sources of Carbondioxide, Methane, and Nitrogen dioxide gases. The reported carbon concentration in the atmosphere was 242ppm in 2018, 404ppm in 2017, 365.48ppm in 2000 and 354.19ppm in 1990; and the metals process industries, indeed, a contributor to that carbon concentration. It indicates that a problem exists in operations of metals process industries in controlling GHG emission, and the required efforts are not putting in place to solve it. The strategic goal of this paper is to list the emission level of the major metals process industries with relevant sustainable solutions.