IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i13p5859-d1687389.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Predicting CO 2 Emissions in U.S. Ironmaking: A Data-Driven Approach for Long-Term Policy and Process Optimization

Author

Listed:
  • Mohammad Meysami

    (Department of Mathematics, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY 13699, USA)

  • Alex Meisami

    (Department of Accounting and Finance, Judd Leighton School of Business & Economics, Indiana University South Bend, South Bend, IN 46615, USA)

  • Mohammad Merhi

    (Department of Accounting and Finance, Judd Leighton School of Business & Economics, Indiana University South Bend, South Bend, IN 46615, USA)

  • Hassan Dehghanpour

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2C6, Canada)

  • Amirhossein Meysami

    (Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA)

Abstract

The U.S. ironmaking sector plays a key role in global greenhouse gas emissions, mainly due to long-standing practices such as blast furnaces (BFs) and direct reduction (DR). In this work, we develop a new mathematical approach to estimate future CO 2 emissions from the U.S. ironmaking industry through 2050. Our approach uses historical data from 2005 to 2021 and incorporates economic and energy use indicators to explore how emissions might change over time. According to our results, unless significant technological improvements and stronger energy policies are implemented, the industry is likely to continue producing large amounts of CO 2 . These findings highlight the pressing need to adopt cleaner alternatives—such as hydrogen-based direct reduction—to help meet international climate goals. Supporting the transition to low-emission technologies contributes to broader efforts in sustainable industrial development and long-term climate resilience.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohammad Meysami & Alex Meisami & Mohammad Merhi & Hassan Dehghanpour & Amirhossein Meysami, 2025. "Predicting CO 2 Emissions in U.S. Ironmaking: A Data-Driven Approach for Long-Term Policy and Process Optimization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-15, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:13:p:5859-:d:1687389
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/13/5859/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/13/5859/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Julian Suer & Marzia Traverso & Nils Jäger, 2022. "Review of Life Cycle Assessments for Steel and Environmental Analysis of Future Steel Production Scenarios," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-22, October.
    2. Zhang, Huining & Dong, Jianping & Wei, Chao & Cao, Caifang & Zhang, Zuotai, 2022. "Future trend of terminal energy conservation in steelmaking plant: Integration of molten slag heat recovery-combustible gas preparation from waste plastics and CO2 emission reduction," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PE).
    3. Tian, Shuoshuo & Di, Yuezhong & Dai, Min & Chen, Weiqiang & Zhang, Qi, 2022. "Comprehensive assessment of energy conservation and CO2 emission reduction in future aluminum supply chain," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 305(C).
    4. Matic Jovičević-Klug & Isnaldi R. Souza Filho & Hauke Springer & Christian Adam & Dierk Raabe, 2024. "Green steel from red mud through climate-neutral hydrogen plasma reduction," Nature, Nature, vol. 625(7996), pages 703-709, January.
    5. Tianyang Lei & Daoping Wang & Xiang Yu & Shijun Ma & Weichen Zhao & Can Cui & Jing Meng & Shu Tao & Dabo Guan, 2023. "Global iron and steel plant CO2 emissions and carbon-neutrality pathways," Nature, Nature, vol. 622(7983), pages 514-520, October.
    6. Hosseini, Seyed Ehsan & Wahid, Mazlan Abdul, 2016. "Hydrogen production from renewable and sustainable energy resources: Promising green energy carrier for clean development," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 850-866.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yihan Wang & Zongguo Wen & Mao Xu & Christian Doh Dinga, 2025. "Long-term transformation in China’s steel sector for carbon capture and storage technology deployment," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Yoon, Kwangsuk & Lee, Sang Soo & Ok, Yong Sik & Kwon, Eilhann E. & Song, Hocheol, 2019. "Enhancement of syngas for H2 production via catalytic pyrolysis of orange peel using CO2 and bauxite residue," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(C).
    3. Barbara Uliasz-Misiak & Joanna Lewandowska-Śmierzchalska & Rafał Matuła & Radosław Tarkowski, 2022. "Prospects for the Implementation of Underground Hydrogen Storage in the EU," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-17, December.
    4. Mostafa Ahmed & Mohamed Abdelrahem & Ibrahim Harbi & Ralph Kennel, 2020. "An Adaptive Model-Based MPPT Technique with Drift-Avoidance for Grid-Connected PV Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-25, December.
    5. Park, Joungho & Kang, Sungho & Kim, Sunwoo & Kim, Hana & Kim, Sang-Kyung & Lee, Jay H., 2024. "Optimizing green hydrogen systems: Balancing economic viability and reliability in the face of supply-demand volatility," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 368(C).
    6. Qolipour, Mojtaba & Mostafaeipour, Ali & Tousi, Omid Mohseni, 2017. "Techno-economic feasibility of a photovoltaic-wind power plant construction for electric and hydrogen production: A case study," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 113-123.
    7. Bożena Gajdzik & Radosław Wolniak & Wiesław Grebski, 2025. "An Econometric Analysis of CO 2 Emission Intensity in Poland’s Blast Furnace–Basic Oxygen Furnace Steelmaking Process," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-30, April.
    8. María Pilar González-Vázquez & Roberto García & Covadonga Pevida & Fernando Rubiera, 2017. "Optimization of a Bubbling Fluidized Bed Plant for Low-Temperature Gasification of Biomass," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-16, March.
    9. Su, Pengfei & Zhou, Yue & Li, Hongyi & Perez, Hector D. & Wu, Jianzhong, 2025. "Cost-effective scheduling of a hydrogen-based iron and steel plant powered by a grid-assisted renewable energy system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 384(C).
    10. Yihan Wang & Chen Chen & Yuan Tao & Zongguo Wen, 2025. "Uneven renewable energy supply constrains the decarbonization effects of excessively deployed hydrogen-based DRI technology," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-14, December.
    11. Farboud Khatami & Erfan Goharian, 2022. "Beyond Profitable Shifts to Green Energies, towards Energy Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-28, April.
    12. Olabi, A.G. & Wilberforce, Tabbi & Abdelkareem, Mohammad Ali, 2021. "Fuel cell application in the automotive industry and future perspective," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 214(C).
    13. Jahangiri, Mehdi & Rezaei, Mostafa & Mostafaeipour, Ali & Goojani, Afsaneh Raiesi & Saghaei, Hamed & Hosseini Dehshiri, Seyyed Jalaladdin & Hosseini Dehshiri, Seyyed Shahabaddin, 2022. "Prioritization of solar electricity and hydrogen co-production stations considering PV losses and different types of solar trackers: A TOPSIS approach," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 186(C), pages 889-903.
    14. Shao, Tianming & Pan, Xunzhang & Li, Xiang & Zhou, Sheng & Zhang, Shu & Chen, Wenying, 2022. "China's industrial decarbonization in the context of carbon neutrality: A sub-sectoral analysis based on integrated modelling," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    15. Zaffar Ahmed Shaikh & Polina Datsyuk & Laura M. Baitenova & Larisa Belinskaja & Natalia Ivolgina & Gulmira Rysmakhanova & Tomonobu Senjyu, 2022. "Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Renewable Energy Firm’s Profitability and Capitalization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-15, June.
    16. Zhu, Min & Chen, Shiyi & Soomro, Ahsanullah & Hu, Jun & Sun, Zhao & Ma, Shiwei & Xiang, Wenguo, 2018. "Effects of supports on reduction activity and carbon deposition of iron oxide for methane chemical looping hydrogen generation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 912-921.
    17. Malik, Ritu & Tomer, Vijay K., 2021. "State-of-the-art review of morphological advancements in graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) for sustainable hydrogen production," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    18. Lee, Boreum & Lim, Dongjun & Lee, Hyunjun & Byun, Manhee & Lim, Hankwon, 2021. "Techno-economic analysis of H2 energy storage system based on renewable energy certificate," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 91-98.
    19. Min Wang & Xiaobin Dong & Youchun Zhai, 2021. "Optimal Configuration of the Integrated Charging Station for PV and Hydrogen Storage," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-12, October.
    20. Ye, Yang & Yue, Yi & Lu, Jianfeng & Ding, Jing & Wang, Weilong & Yan, Jinyue, 2021. "Enhanced hydrogen storage of a LaNi5 based reactor by using phase change materials," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 734-743.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:13:p:5859-:d:1687389. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.