Integrated dynamic energy management for steel production (DYNERGYSteel): final report

Steel Industry is an important energy consumer facing problems of electrical grid instability also due to the increasing of renewable energy sources. Power fluctuations have important influences on production costs (fares) and continuity (grid disconnections) pushing towards a closer cooperation with the grid operators asking for the improvement of power engagement forecast and monitoring. The analysis of European electricity markets and specifically Italy and Germany ones highlights how the steel manufacturers can interact and take advantage from them. The focus of the analysis is from the day-ahead market to the short term one being the most interesting to implement reaction policy and tools. The analysis shows that there are opportunities in all the markets. The continuous enhancement of process monitoring and control, from an energetic point of view, makes more easy the forecasting of the plant electricity demand in order to participate profitably in the energy markets. DYNERGYSteel developed dynamic approaches for electricity demand monitoring and timely reactions to external grid and internal process situations to avoid non flexible equipment disconnection and/or financial fines when deviating from energy contingent. This approach has been tested on different use cases in the four industrial partners plants highlighting in general good potential.