Ida Kero

Research question

Other material producers I’ve worked with include steel, titanium dioxide, silicon carbide and aluminium producers. Initially, my research concentrated on the airborne emissions from smelting processes, such as dust formation and fugitive emissions. With time, the scope was broadened and soon enough, the decarbonisation of the industry and the development of alternative, climate neutral processes became a major focus area. Industrial symbiosis, circularity and energy efficiency have also been important areas for my research. Most of my projects have been in close collaboration with the Norwegian university of science and technology (NTNU), especially in projects about monitoring emissions and finding new uses for various waste/byproducts. In WISE, I will continue to build and apply my competence about metal production and processing to and through research which addresses industrial and societal needs for the green transition. I am now in Luleå, Norrbotten, where massive investments are pioneering Swedens industrial transformation. I hope to take advantage of this location and work closely with the iron and steel industry as well as other stakeholders along the steel value chains.

Sustainability aspects

If we are to achieve the green shift the world needs metals. To ensure a future with renewable solar and wind energy as well as climate-adapted, weather-proof roads and cities around the world, we must be able to make metals in a safe, climate-neutral and responsible way. Today however, the metal industry contributes to the problem just as much as to the solutions. It is recognized as a difficult-to-abate sector, emitting fossil greenhouse gases and accounting for roughly 11 percent of the global CO2 emissions. It is therefore urgent to develop more climate-friendly alternatives to current raw materials and processes. The iron and steel value chain constitutes the largest (by far) metal sector in the world, employing over 6 million people globally and making products we all depend on in our daily lives. Improving the circularity of this sector is likely to have a massive impact on the environment, the world economy and on people’s lives, everywhere.