The present work describes the results achieved during a study aiming at the full replacement of the natural gas demand of an integrated hot metal production. A novel approach for the implementation of a biomass gasification plant combined with an electrolysis unit was used to substitute the present natural gas demand of an integrated raw iron production plant. Therefore, a simulation platform, including mathematical models for all relevant process units, enabling the calculation of all relevant mass and energy balances was created. As a result, the calculations show that a natural gas demand of about 385 MW can be replaced and additional 100 MW hydrogen-rich reducing gas can be produced by the use of 132 MW of biomass together with 571 MW electricity produced from renewable energy sources.
