This workshop is organised in the framework of the projects BioRECAST [www.biorecast.eu] (BIObased REsidues Conversion to Advanced fuels for sustainable STeel production) and H2Steel [https://h2steelproject.eu/] (Green H2 and circular bio-coal from biowaste for cost-competitive sustainable Steel).

Cooperation will be established with the Industrial Deep Decarbonisation Initiative (IDDI) launched by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) in 2021. Further collaborations exist with the IEA Bioenergy Task 33 [https://task33.ieabioenergy.com/]: Gasification of Biogenic and Waste Feedstocks for a Sustainable Future and the IRENA initiative on Decarbonising Hard-to-Abate Sectors [Decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors with renewables: Enablers and recommendations].

BioRECAST addresses the challenge of decarbonizing the steel sector by exploring the use of residual organic waste, such as sewage sludge, industrial sludge, domestic organic waste, food waste, and agricultural waste, through slow pyrolysis. By producing biocoal and pyrolysis gases and upgrading the chemical composition of biocoal, the project seeks to provide an alternative to fossil coal in the steel-making process, particularly in Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) plants.

H2Steel aims at creating a ground-breaking competitive solution for sustainable green hydrogen and biocoal production from circular biowaste streams. The project thus contributes to the EU Green Hydrogen economy and to the decarbonization of the European steel sector, as its green transition is a priority.

In 2021, UNIDO and the Clean Energy Ministerial launched the Industrial Deep Decarbonization Initiative (IDDI), the largest and most diverse coalition of governments, companies, and organizations working to create an enabling environment for deep industrial decarbonization, starting with steel, cement, and concrete. The IDDI is co-led by the United Kingdom and India, with current members including Brazil, Canada, Germany, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. The initiative aims to drive early demand for low- and near-zero-emission steel, cement, and concrete through green public procurement by:

• Establishing an approach for collecting interoperable data to report on the procurement of low- and near-zero-emission materials.
• Working with governments, private sector, civil society, and intergovernmental organizations to harmonize standards and definitions for low- and near-zero emission products.
• Setting commitments and best practices for the public procurement of these materials.

This workshop will serve to present and discuss activities and results of the two European projects BioRECAST and H2Steel aiming to find promising solution for the defossilization of the steel sector based on renewable carbon and green hydrogen. Potential synergies with activities implemented in the framework of the Industrial Deep Decarbonisation Initiative (IDDI) will be discussed.