Decarbonising the Production of Large Scale Forgings and Castings

谢菲尔德锻造公司专门生产大规模、高质量的铸件和锻件。该公司在金属生产和成形方面拥有200年的历史，为包括国防、石油和天然气、可再生能源和发电在内的一系列市场部门提供产品。该公司代表了英国唯一为民用和国防应用提供大型核电容器锻件的能力，大型铸造和锻造产品的生产在制造过程的多个阶段使用碳基燃料。碳排放的最大贡献者与各种供暖应用的天然气燃烧有关。除了使用的一系列消耗品外，其他排放和碳来源还与切割和燃烧作业有关。该项目的主要目标是解决谢菲尔德锻造厂能源密集型制造过程的脱碳问题，以使公司与国家到2050年实现净零碳排放的雄心保持一致。将对主要制造路线进行调查，重点放在炼钢和热处理等关键工艺上，以确定脱碳的机会。该公司对天然气的依赖意味着将探索将燃料转换为无碳当量燃料的机会，例如氢气。此外，当局亦会考虑是否有机会去除切割作业中使用的氧乙炔和丙烷燃料。建议的脱碳方案亦会从品质和工程性能的角度，研究工艺改变对产品的潜在影响。研究结果将被用来为未来的资本投资决策提供参考，并为未来的技术部署和开发项目奠定基础。该研究将确定需要对公司的基础设施进行的可能修改，以实现燃料转换，为无碳替代燃料的工业使用奠定基础，这些燃料可能会部署到其他工业市场和行业。该项目代表着谢菲尔德锻造公司全面脱碳战略的起点。该项目将与在高温、能源密集型行业拥有丰富经验的材料加工研究所合作交付。与谢菲尔德锻造公司一样，材料加工研究所主要与钢铁行业合作，在参与和领导多方合作伙伴技术项目方面有着良好的记录。该研究所在致力于基础工业脱碳的合作中拥有炉子性能和工厂审计方面的经验。

Sheffield Forgemasters specialises in the manufacture of large scale, high quality, cast and forged components. The company has a 200 year history in metal production and forming, supplying products to a range of market sectors including, defence, oil and gas, renewables and power generation. The company represents the UK's sole capability for supplying major nuclear vessel forgings for both civil and defence applicationsThe production of large scale cast and forged product uses carbon based fuels in multiple stages of the manufacturing process. The largest contributor to carbon emissions is related to the burning of natural gas for a variety of heating applications. Other emissions and sources of carbon are associated with cutting and burning operations, in addition to a range of consumables used.The principal objective of the project is to address the decarbonisation of energy intensive manufacturing processes at Sheffield Forgemasters, in order to align the company to the national ambition of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050\. Primary manufacturing routes, focusing on key processes such as steel making and heat treatment, will be investigated to identify opportunities for decarbonisation. The company's reliance on natural gas means opportunities for fuel switching to carbon free equivalents, e.g., Hydrogen, will be explored. In addition, opportunities to remove oxyacetylene and propane fuels used in cutting operations will also be considered.The proposed decarbonisation solutions will also examine the potential impact of process changes on products from a quality and engineering performance view point. The results of the study will be used to inform decisions on future capital investment and form the basis for future technology deployment and development projects. The study will identify the possible modifications required to be made to company's infrastructure to enable fuel switching, building a case for the industrial use of carbon-free alternative fuels which can be potentially be deployed to other industrial markets and sectorsThe project represents the starting point for a comprehensive decarbonisation strategy at Sheffield Forgemasters. The project will be delivered in partnership with the Material Processing Institute who has extensive experience in high temperature, energy intensive industries. Primarily working with the steel industry, The Materials Processing Institute, like Sheffield Forgemasters, have a strong track record of participating in and leading multi-partner technology projects. The Institute has experience in furnace performance and plant audit in collaborations working to decarbonise foundation industries.