Status, challenges, and prospects of energy efficiency improvement methods in steel production: A multi-perspective review

Improving energy efficiency has been widely recognized as a direct, efficient, and cost-effective approach to advancing energy conservation, reducing emissions, and achieving sustainable development. While there are numerous and effective methods to enhance energy efficiency in a typical steel manufacturing system, they are relatively scattered and independent, lacking a systematic review for multi-level, comprehensive and scientific evaluation and improvement of energy efficiency within the steel industry. To fill this gap, this work initially presents an overview of the component units and energy networks within steel production system. Subsequently, a comprehensive review and analysis are conducted from multiple perspectives, such as energy evaluation, diagnosis, benchmarking analysis, optimization, and energy-saving measures. Each part meticulously selects the literature through content evaluation analysis to discuss methods, technologies, and models for improving energy efficiency, along with potential challenges that need to be overcome for future advancements. Furthermore, the paper examines the diverse challenges encountered by steel manufacturing in realizing energy efficiency improvements and exploring energy-saving potential. It also underscores the corresponding future developmental direction, including the construction of multi-level evaluation systems, implementation of intelligent energy efficiency improvement methods and technologies, and adoption of intelligent energy systems crucial for intelligent analysis and manufacturing in steel sector.