ISO 14404-3-2024 PDF

Full title and description

Calculation method of carbon dioxide emission intensity from iron and steel production — Part 3: Steel plant with electric arc furnace (EAF) and coal‑based or gas‑based direct reduction iron (DRI) facility. This part of ISO 14404 specifies calculation methods to evaluate total annual CO₂ emissions and the CO₂ intensity (emission factor) for steel plants combining EAF and DRI process routes, including boundary and material/energy flow definitions and treatment of upstream emissions and credits.

Abstract

This document provides a method to calculate the carbon dioxide emission intensity for sites where steel is produced primarily as carbon steel using an electric arc furnace together with on‑site direct reduced iron (DRI) production (coal‑ or gas‑based). It defines the plant boundary, material and energy flows, CO₂ emission factors, and applies upstream/credit approaches where appropriate. Annex A gives conversion guidance to energy consumption and efficiency metrics.

General information

• Status: Published.
• Publication date: September 2024 (publication listed 16 September 2024 / 2024‑09).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 13.020.40; 77.080.01 (pollution/control; ferrous metals).
• Edition / version: Edition 2 (2024).
• Number of pages: 23 pages (English edition); national reproductions may show slight pagination differences.

Scope

Applies to steel plants producing mainly carbon steel that operate an electric arc furnace (EAF) and have on‑site direct reduced iron (DRI) production using coal or gas. The standard is intended to let a plant determine total annual CO₂ emissions and an emission‑intensity factor for the whole production process by defining the calculation boundary, material and energy flows, applicable emission factors, and how to treat upstream emissions and credits. It also covers particular on‑site agglomeration cases and provides conversion to energy consumption and efficiency via Annex A.

Key topics and requirements

• Definition of plant boundary for CO₂ accounting (what sources are inside/outside the site).
• Material and energy flow mapping for integrated EAF + DRI process routes.
• Assignment and use of CO₂ emission factors for fuels, electricity, intermediate products and processes.
• Method for including upstream emissions and applying credits (e.g., exported energy/by‑products, purchased pig iron/steel).
• Rules and examples for handling on‑site agglomeration and DRI inputs.
• Annex A conversion procedures to translate CO₂ results into energy consumption and efficiency metrics.

Typical use and users

Primary users are steel‑plant sustainability and environment teams, process and energy engineers, external auditors, consultants advising on GHG accounting, and regulators or industry associations assessing or benchmarking plant CO₂ intensity. The standard is used for internal reporting, benchmarking between sites/process routes, informing decarbonization planning, and as a reference for third‑party verification of site CO₂ intensity.

Related standards

ISO 14404 is a multipart series. Relevant related parts include ISO 14404‑1:2024 (steel plants with blast furnace routes), ISO 14404‑2:2024 (steel plants with EAF routes), and ISO 14404‑4:2020 (guidance for using the ISO 14404 series, including the universal calculation sheet). These parts provide complementary calculation rules and guidance for other process routes and combined facilities.

Keywords

CO₂ intensity; carbon dioxide emission factor; steel production; electric arc furnace (EAF); direct reduced iron (DRI); greenhouse gas accounting; ISO 14404; plant boundary; energy conversion; emissions credits.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 14404‑3:2024 is the part of the ISO 14404 series that defines a calculation method for CO₂ emission intensity specifically for steel plants combining electric arc furnaces (EAF) with coal‑ or gas‑based direct reduced iron (DRI) facilities.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers boundary definition, material and energy flow identification, CO₂ emission factors, treatment of upstream emissions and credits, and procedures to calculate total annual CO₂ emissions and an emission‑intensity factor for the whole plant. Annex A offers conversion to energy consumption and efficiency indicators.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Steel producers (environment/sustainability teams), process and energy engineers, verifiers and auditors, consultants, and regulators who need a consistent method to quantify and report site CO₂ intensity for EAF+DRI process routes.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO 14404‑3:2024 (Edition 2) is the current published edition (September 2024) and it replaces ISO 14404‑3:2017. Users should confirm national adoption dates for local versions.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — ISO 14404 is a multipart series addressing CO₂ emission intensity calculation for different steel process routes (parts 1–4). Part 1 covers blast‑furnace integrated plants, part 2 covers EAF plants, part 3 covers EAF + DRI plants, and part 4 gives guidance for using the series and a universal calculation sheet.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: CO₂ intensity, emission factor, steel plant accounting, EAF, DRI, GHG inventory, plant boundary, upstream emissions, credits, ISO 14404.