Key Takeaways
- Researchers at the Korea Institute of Energy Research have developed an electrified heat treatment technology that replaces fossil fuels with electricity in the metal heat treatment process.
- The technology is expected to be broadly applicable across energy-intensive industries such as steelmaking, supporting decarbonization of industrial processes.
- The government has set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the industrial sector by up to 31% by 2035.
- The new technology has successfully reduced concentrations of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides in exhaust gases by more than 98%.
- The electric annealing furnace can operate without the fuel and air supply systems, burners, and exhaust systems required for conventional combustion-based furnaces, reducing capital investment costs and installation footprint by approximately 40%.
Introduction to Electrified Heat Treatment Technology
The Korea Institute of Energy Research, led by Dr. Hookyung Lee, has developed an innovative electrified heat treatment technology that replaces fossil fuels with electricity in the metal heat treatment process. This technology is expected to have a significant impact on energy-intensive industries such as steelmaking, supporting the decarbonization of industrial processes. The government has recently accelerated efforts to decarbonize industrial processes, including process electrification, in pursuit of national greenhouse gas reduction targets for 2035.
The Need for Decarbonization in the Steel Industry
The steel industry is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, with carbon dioxide emissions from the steel industry, including zinc manufacturing processes, accounting for approximately 15% of Korea’s total national emissions. The production of galvanized steel-strips, used in automobiles and household appliances, involves a continuous galvanizing line process that requires heat treatment. Conventionally, this heat treatment is achieved through the burning of fossil fuels, resulting in large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. To address this challenge, the research team developed a "carbon-free annealing system" that operates solely on electricity.
The Development of the Carbon-Free Annealing System
The core of the newly developed system lies in its furnace design technology. The research team retained the refractory structure and steel-strip conveying mechanism of conventional combustion-based annealing furnaces, while replacing burners with electric heating elements installed on both the upper and lower sections of the furnace. This design enables rapid and uniform heating through high-temperature radiant heat while minimizing heat loss to the furnace walls. The system was tested under conditions closely resembling commercial production processes and successfully reduced concentrations of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides in exhaust gases by more than 98%.
Benefits of the Electric Annealing Furnace
The electric annealing furnace offers several benefits, including reduced capital investment costs and installation footprint by approximately 40%. The furnace can operate without the fuel and air supply systems, burners, and exhaust systems required for conventional combustion-based furnaces. Additionally, when powered by renewable electricity such as wind and solar energy, the system can enable a truly carbon-free heat treatment process, making it highly effective in addressing global environmental regulations, including carbon border adjustment mechanisms.
Future Plans and Applications
Dr. Hookyung Lee, the principal researcher of the study, stated that the demonstration is the world’s first case to show that carbon-free heating can be achieved simply by replacing burners with electric heating elements. The research team plans to expand the technology into an AI-based design and operation system that automatically recommends optimal heating-element configurations based on steel-strip width, thickness, and conveying speed. This will ultimately develop into an export-ready carbon-free heating solution linked to commercial-scale demonstrations with domestic steelmakers and overseas markets.
Conclusion and Publication
The results of this study were published in September 2025 in Applied Thermal Engineering, a globally recognized journal in energy and thermal engineering. The research was supported by Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the demonstration was carried out at the facilities of Samwoo Eco Co., Ltd., in collaboration with the industry partner. The development of this electrified heat treatment technology is a significant step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the steel industry and supporting the decarbonization of industrial processes.