Method for operating an integrated and combined charcoal pyrolysis metallurgical plant

Description

1 / 34 “METHOD FOR OPERATING AN INTEGRATED AND COMBINED CHARCOAL PYROLYSIS METALLURGICAL PLANT” FIELD OF TECHNIQUE

[001] The present invention relates generally to the field of low-carbon metals and mining industry and, in particular, to a metallurgical plant combined with a pyrolysis plant integrating the production of charcoal. PREVIOUS TECHNIQUE

[002] To reduce CO2 emissions, reducing carbon and energy consumption in the production of ore or metal products is one of the main objectives currently in the industry. The use of biomass is one of the answers to reduce the use of fossil fuels, such as coal, coke and / or natural gas, particularly in the metallurgical industry. However, the use of biomass in a metallurgical process is still difficult due to the very nature of biomass. In fact, biomass contains large amounts of volatile components and its pyrolysis generates only small amounts of charcoal and large amounts of pyrolysis gas.Furthermore, the aforementioned pyrolysis gas contains a significant proportion of condensable gases that are not suitable for transport and use in the gaseous state within the metallurgical plant without specific measures to make it easily and safely transportable, such as drying and separating the condensable gases from the non-condensable gases, or transporting them at high temperatures in insulated or even heated pipes to prevent undesirable clogging and dangerous condensation of flammable liquids. In addition, depending on the intended application in the metallurgical process, the pyrolysis conditions must be adapted to meet specific requirements, such as generating charcoal with low volatile content, high Cfix, etc.To obtain such charcoal, pyrolysis conditions generally generate a pyrolysis gas, typically from 20% to 80% of the initial mass, composed of non-condensable gases such as carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide, water vapor, and condensable organic gases referred to as tars. Due to the vapor and condensable fraction, pyrolysis gas is not readily usable as a fuel gas. Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 106 / 149 2 / 34 transportable, thus preventing integration into local gas networks to supply local fuel gas demand.

[003] The state-of-the-art integration method is therefore to immediately burn the coal pyrolysis gas after exiting the high-temperature reactor, while the small amount of piping required is insulated, externally heated, or both to prevent condensation. This approach is not desirable in a large metallurgical plant where full integration of the combined plant would involve transporting combustible gases to distant consumers, such as, for example, the burners for the reheating furnace of a rolling mill. Consequently, there is a need to be able to more fully utilize biomass pyrolysis coal and pyrolysis gas in an integrated and combined coal pyrolysis metallurgical plant. PROBLEM WITH THE TECHNIQUE

[004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for operating an integrated and combined coal pyrolysis metallurgical plant to utilize not only the biomass pyrolysis product, i.e., coal, but also the pyrolysis gas. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[005] To achieve the aforementioned objective, the present invention proposes a method for operating an integrated and combined coal pyrolysis metallurgical plant, including a pyrolysis reactor and a metallurgical plant, the method comprising the steps of: - feeding the pyrolysis reactor with an input rich in dry raw carbon, also called biomass in the present invention; - to pyrolyze said dry raw biomass to produce a solid pyrolysis product, also called charcoal in the present invention, and a pyrolysis gas; - to operate a metallurgical plant in which at least part of the coal is introduced as fuel and / or reducing agent and / or slag foaming agent in the metallurgical plant; Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 107 / 149 3 / 34 - treat at least part of the pyrolysis gas as a first stream (of pyrolysis gas) in a reformer in the presence of one or more oxygen-containing components, preferably air, O2, CO2 and / or H2O to form an enhanced pyrolysis gas rich in H2 and CO; and cool the enhanced pyrolysis gas exiting the reformer in one or more heat exchangers and / or one or more wet cleaning stages and / or one or more spray cooling / cooling stages to produce an enhanced and cool pyrolysis gas at a temperature below 100 °C, said enhanced and cool pyrolysis gas having a molar ratio (H2+CO) / (H2O+CO2) from 2 to 10, preferably from 4 to 7 and / or a lower heating value of 10 to 20 MJ / kg; - where the enhanced and cooled pyrolysis gas is adapted to be transported through the integrated and combined charcoal pyrolysis metallurgical plant to be valorized, in particular to be additionally used by (remote) consumers, for example, as fuel gas, reducing gas, carburizing gas, etc. If not all the pyrolysis gas is treated in the reformer, the remaining pyrolysis gas, also called second stream (of pyrolysis gas), is preferably sent to a furnace to be used as a fuel gas to generate heat for the pyrolysis reactor and / or a drying unit or similar.

[006] The present invention thus provides an integrated and combined coal pyrolysis metallurgical plant optimized to fully utilize the biomass pyrolysis products produced on-site, to supply the energy needed to operate said metallurgical plant even at locations distant from the pyrolysis reactor. According to the invention, the integrated and combined coal pyrolysis metallurgical plant is a plant comprising, on the same site, a metallurgical plant such as a steel plant, an iron plant, a sinter plant, a coke plant, a pelletizing plant, a non-ferrous metallurgical plant, etc., and a biomass pyrolysis reactor and generally other units such as reformers, heating units, furnaces, etc., which would require energy, fuel, Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 108 / 149 4 / 34 reducing species etc., to operate. These other units may be referred to as consumers in the present invention. The integrated and combined coal pyrolysis metallurgical plant, being a metallurgical plant, may also be referred to as an integrated metallurgical plant or simply a metallurgical plant in the present invention. According to the invention, pyrolysis is a process of thermal decomposition of a product at elevated temperature, and in the context of the invention, the term pyrolysis includes fast and slow pyrolysis as well as low-temperature pyrolysis, often known as torrefaction. Pyrolysis produces a solid, called charcoal in the context of the invention, and a pyrolysis gas. The yield of charcoal and pyrolysis gas produced generally depends on the heating rate, pyrolysis temperature, and residence time of the pyrolyzed product.Advantageously, biomass is pyrolyzed on-site in an integrated pyrolysis reactor to produce charcoal that can be used / beneficial as fuel, reducing agent, carburizing agent, slag foaming agent, etc., in said metallurgical plant. Simultaneously, biomass pyrolysis generates gases that are then at least partially converted into a valuable gas, said enhanced pyrolysis gas, which can be further used as an easily and safely transportable fuel, reducing agent, carburizing agent, slag foaming agent, etc. on-site, to meet the internal demands of the integrated and combined coal pyrolysis metallurgical plant.

[007] Carbon-rich feedstock, in the present invention, refers to biogenic and non-biogenic feedstocks or materials comprising a substantial carbon content, which are adapted to be converted into a solid pyrolysis product. In the context of the present invention, carbon-rich feedstock may also be simply called biomass, generally referring to organic material, i.e., plant, animal and microorganism-based material, or other waste materials with a high carbon content, such as sawn timber, Class B and C wood waste, suitable plastic waste, municipal waste, etc. Potential sources of biomass, in the context of the present invention, are not particularly limited and thus include industrial, agricultural, organic waste, wood waste, Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 109 / 149 5 / 34 plastic waste, municipal waste, etc. Its use to produce energy directly or transformed materials that can be further used is one of the most promising ways to transition from fossil-based energy to greener energy sources and circular economy solutions, as well as a new carbon source for specific process applications, for example, in hydrogen-based direct reduction steel carburization, iron, or as a slag foaming agent in melting furnaces.

[008] A pyrolysis reactor in the context of the invention is generally a unit where biomass is introduced and heated to high temperature in an atmosphere that is generally essentially oxygen-free (O2). Although it is explicitly considered that in some embodiments / processes, oxygen and / or air may also be introduced into the pyrolysis reactor to generate heat in place by partial combustion, the atmosphere inside the pyrolysis reactor is generally a reducing atmosphere with low oxygen content. Biomass pyrolysis produces a solid product with a high carbon content, namely, charcoal, and a pyrolysis gas comprising non-condensable gases, steam, and condensable organic gases.The term "charcoal," according to the present invention, is used to designate the product of solid biomass pyrolysis that can be advantageously used as a solid fuel, reducing agent, carburizing agent, and / or slag foaming agent, preferably in metallurgical plants, but can also be used in other applications requiring a high carbon content, such as soil amendment, activated carbon, etc.

[009] If necessary or desirable, the raw biomass is pre-treated before feeding the biomass pyrolysis reactor. A pre-treatment may be a washing step, specifically for biomasses with a high content of alkali metals, which are detrimental to the metallurgical process, such as fast-growing biomasses or otherwise contaminated biomasses. Another pre-treatment may be a pre-drying step that will remove excess moisture naturally present in the biomass if the raw biomass is not sufficiently dry. The pre-drying step may occur in a drying unit at temperatures generally at Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 110 / 149 6 / 34 from about 45 to about 400 °C, preferably from about 60 to 200 °C, more preferably from about 50 to about 150 °C. Advantageously, such a drying unit is integrated into the integrated metallurgical plant, allowing the use of relatively low temperature, low-value heat sources, for example, from about 50 to about 150 °C, which are widely available but rarely used in a metallurgical plant due to their low exergy content, where exergy refers to the amount of usable work a system can perform when placed in thermodynamic equilibrium with its environment. Appropriately dried raw biomass preferably has moisture contents from about 0 to about 25% by weight, such as from about 1 to about 15% by weight or from about 1.5 to about 10% by weight.

[010] Raw dry biomass is treated in a pyrolysis reactor to produce charcoal and pyrolysis gas. According to the invention, the charcoal can be further introduced into the metallurgical plant to be used as fuel, reducing agent, carburizing agent, slag foaming agent, etc., while the pyrolysis gas is at least partially treated to allow its further valorization throughout the integrated metallurgical plant site, for example, as fuel gas, reducing gas, carburizing gas, etc. An advantage of the present invention is the maximized use of both solid and gaseous biomass pyrolysis products, generally directly on-site, in any appropriate location within the integrated metallurgical plant.

[011] Preferably, at least part of the pyrolysis gas, the so-called second pyrolysis gas stream, is sent to a furnace to be used as fuel gas to generate heat for the pyrolysis reactor to reach and maintain the temperature of the endothermic pyrolysis reaction inside the pyrolysis reactor, thus compensating for the energy loss that occurs during the pyrolysis reaction. Additionally or alternatively, the second pyrolysis gas stream (or part thereof) can also be sent to drying units to generate heat. The advantage is that at least part of the pyrolysis gas is directly recycled and Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 111 / 149 7 / 34 valued in the pyrolysis reactor and / or drying unit without any additional treatment.

[012] The first pyrolysis gas stream is advantageously treated in a reformer in the presence of one or more oxygen-containing components to enable its conversion into a non-condensable calorific gas usable throughout the metallurgical plant without the need for particular transport measures. The oxygen-containing components are gaseous and may be, for example, one or more of air, O2, CO2, H2O, etc. According to the invention, the reformer (reactor) refers to a unit / reactor in which one or more reactions (reforming) can occur, such as partial oxidation, steam reforming, dry reforming, and thermal cracking, and in which the temperature, pressure, and composition of the injected oxygen-containing components can be controlled.Upon exiting the pyrolysis reactor at a temperature approximately 50 °C lower than the peak pyrolysis temperature, generally at temperatures from approximately 250 to approximately 800 °C, preferably from approximately 300 to approximately 650 °C, the pyrolysis gas comprises non-condensable gases, condensable organic gases, and vapor. Non-condensable gases are products that are in gaseous form under normal temperature and pressure conditions (NTP, 293.15 K and 1 atm), and mainly comprise H2, CO, CO2, N2, and low molecular weight hydrocarbons such as methane, ethane, propane, etc., derived from the decomposition / conversion of biomass during the pyrolysis reaction. Organic condensable gases refer to other pyrolysis byproducts that are gaseous at the pyrolysis reaction temperature and still gaseous at the outlet of the pyrolysis reactor, but which are condensable, that is, in a liquid or even solid state, under normal temperature and pressure conditions.Condensable organic gases mainly comprise tars, which can include various compounds such as ketones, alcohols, acids, aldehydes, phenols, polyaromatics, hydrocarbons with carbon chains generally having more than four carbon atoms, etc. The first stream of biomass pyrolysis gas is treated in the reformer in the presence of one or more oxygen-containing components. Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 112 / 149 8 / 34 advantageously using only small amounts of O2 at a substoichiometric O2 to pyrolysis gas ratio to convert condensable gases (and possibly some non-condensable gases) into a gas enriched in H and CO, in the present invention called enhanced pyrolysis gas, advantageously by operating the reformer to produce as little CO2 as possible through total oxidation of the pyrolysis gas with O2 to maximize the heating value and / or reduction power of the enhanced pyrolysis gas. Several reactions can and generally will occur in said reformer, such as partial oxidation, steam reforming, dry reforming, and thermal cracking, the main reactions generally being dry reforming or steam reforming. Because O2 is present in the reformer at a substoichiometric concentration compared to the hydrocarbon concentration, partial oxidation can occur instead of total oxidation of hydrocarbons.The partial oxidation of hydrocarbons transforms hydrocarbons into H2 and CO in the presence of O2 under substoichiometric reaction conditions. Partial oxidation can be a thermal process or a catalytic process. Advantageously, in the present invention, partial oxidation, if present, is a non-catalytic process, since some of the tar components can act as potential catalyst inhibitors. The amount of O2 or oxygen-containing components present and / or injected into the reformer is controlled to be substoichiometric with respect to their oxygen content, maximizing tar conversion while minimizing the loss of chemical energy due to total oxidation.

[013] In the reformer, reforming reactions can also occur between hydrocarbons and H2O, forming additional H2 and CO. Similarly, endothermic thermal cracking of hydrocarbons occurs due to high temperatures, causing primary tars to decompose into secondary tars while releasing H2 or CO. The endothermic energy requirement can be supplied locally, for example by partial or total exothermic oxidation which can occur depending on the concentration of O2, or oxygen-containing components injected into the reformer, or off-site by heating one or more of the gas streams to the level of Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 113 / 149 9 / 34 required temperature or a combination of on-site and off-site supply. This steam reforming reaction has the advantage of transforming another portion of the condensable organic gas into a non-condensable fraction, thereby increasing the overall conversion rate of the pyrolysis gas into H2 + CO. Therefore, the enhanced pyrolysis gas exiting the reformer can be more easily and safely transformed back into pyrolysis gas after the reforming step, with only very low amounts of condensable tars left, which previously hindered the easy and safe transport of the pyrolysis gas throughout the integrated plant. The resulting enhanced pyrolysis gas can be easily transported, as a gas, through the integrated metallurgical plant to be supplied to other units or consumers, such as those requiring fuel gas or carburizing gas to operate.

[014] In embodiments, the hot inlet gas heated outside the oxygen-containing component location in the reformer to temperatures above 1500 °C, preferably above 2000 °C, more preferably above 2500 °C, more preferably above 2800 °C and even more preferably above 3000 °C, is heated using a combustion chamber, in which any energy such as natural gas, biogas, naphtha, fuel oil, coal, but preferably also metallurgical energy byproducts such as coke fragments, coal tars or metallurgical exhaust gases can be used to produce hot CO2. The CO2 is produced, preferably, by complete combustion of a fuel with air and / or oxygen in a superstoichiometric ratio. The hot CO2 can provide an oxygen atom for the dry reforming reaction, but also provide the sensible heat to meet the energy demand of the endothermic reforming and cracking reactions.Advantageously, this allows the use of dirty and otherwise low-value waste streams for the production of an improved clean pyrolysis gas. Waste from a metallurgical plant can therefore be better utilized in combination with an integrated pyrolysis plant for charcoal production. It is important to note that, in the context of the invention, hot CO2 may refer not only to hot CO2, but may also refer to... Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 114 / 149 10 / 34 also involves a mixture of hot CO2 and H2O, since the hydrogen atoms in the fuel gas will also be burned to produce the hot inlet gas. Depending on the fuel gas, the amount of H2O may be even higher than the amount of CO2 in the inlet gas.

[015] In further embodiments, the resulting hot enhanced pyrolysis gas, containing a low concentration of tars, is further cooled and compressed for transport. Advantageously, cooling the enhanced pyrolysis gas to a temperature level suitable for transport in a gas network at the metallurgical plant, typically below 100 °C, preferably below 60 °C, further enhances the gas quality of the resulting cold enhanced pyrolysis gas. During cooling, preferably using a gas cooling system composed of one or multiple stages, the gas is advantageously cooled below the water condensation temperature, thus removing moisture from the enhanced pyrolysis gas and further increasing the lower heating value of said cool / cold enhanced pyrolysis gas. Cooling can be done using heat exchangers and / or wet cooling and cleaning stages.Advantageously, during the use of a wet cooling and cleaning stage, the cooling rate can be very high. Rapid cooling of the hot enhanced pyrolysis gas has the added advantage of preventing undesirable reactions at lower temperatures, i.e., at temperatures between the reformer outlet temperature and the cooling device network outlet temperature, by cooling the enhanced pyrolysis gas, thus maintaining its (preferred) adjusted composition in the reformer and preventing undesirable tertiary gas reactions. Tertiary gas reactions can occur when the gas is cooled slowly, due to the displacement of gas equilibria, which can change the final composition of the enhanced pyrolysis gas and thus decrease the heating value of said enhanced pyrolysis gas.Even more advantageously, during the use of a wet cooling and cleaning stage, such as filters, electrostatic precipitators or Venturi scrubbers, the remaining levels of... Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 115 / 149 11 / 34 Undesirable tars and dust are further reduced to a minimum, while further improving the lower heating value of the enhanced and cooled pyrolysis gas.

[016] During pyrolysis, powders, very fine particles or other particulate residues may be carried along with the pyrolysis gas. Consequently, treating the pyrolysis gas in a separator can be advantageous in removing these particles from the gas before its further use and / or treatment in the reformer. The collected particles can be added to the coal fraction to be used as fuel and / or reducing agent.Consequently, in embodiments, the pyrolysis gas is preferably treated in an appropriate separator, such as a mechanical separator, selected from inertial separators, such as settling chambers, baffle chambers and centrifugal collectors, for example, cyclone separators, filters, such as bag or cloth filters, before and / or after, preferably before being optionally divided into first and second pyrolysis gas streams, to separate particulate matter, such as dust, very fine particles and other solid residues generated during pyrolysis, from the pyrolysis gas.

[017] The ratio of coal to pyrolysis gas obtained depends on the pyrolysis conditions, such as temperature and time. Advantageously, the pyrolysis temperature can be chosen depending on the targeted application of the resulting coal. Each application requires a specific quality of coke / mineral coal / charcoal to operate properly and safely. For example, a metallurgical furnace would generally need low volatile content in the injected charcoal to avoid undesirable explosive disintegration. The composition of charcoal can be described by its fixed carbon content. The pyrolysis temperature will drive the fixed carbon content of the charcoal. Fixed carbon content, also called C-fix, refers to the solid carbon in the biomass remaining in the charcoal, which cannot be expelled as a volatile component in an oxygen-free atmosphere up to 900 °C as determined according to ISO 17246:2010.In other words, C-fix according to the present invention designates the amount or percentage of non-volatile carbon. Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 116 / 149 12 / 34 that remains in charcoal after biomass pyrolysis, that is, after the removal of volatile matter. The other components of charcoal may be carbonaceous material and smaller amounts of compounds containing hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen or sulfur and minerals, oxides and metals in the form of ash, which were not removed during the pyrolysis process.

[018] According to the invention, metallurgical furnaces may be, but are not limited to, an electric arc furnace (EAF), a submerged arc furnace (SAF), an open bath furnace (OBF), a blast furnace (BF), such as a blast furnace with pulverized coal injection (BF PCI), a sinter plant, a pellet plant, a lime kiln, etc.

[019] In embodiments, the pyrolysis reactor is generally operated at temperatures appropriate to optimize the C-fix of the charcoal obtained as required by the charcoal application. For example, the pyrolysis reactor can be operated at temperatures of about 250 to about 800 °C, for example, about 300 to about 350 °C, about 400 to about 500 °C, about 450 to about 600 °C, about 550 to about 700 °C. Depending among other things on the temperatures, the resulting C-fix of the charcoal can be, for example, about 50 to 70% by weight, about 70 to 80% by weight, about 75 to 90% by weight, about 85 to 95% by weight, of the total weight of the charcoal.

[020] Advantageously, a C-fix of about 50 to 75% by weight of the total weight of charcoal would be suitable for BF PCI injection, a value of 70 to 85% by weight for sinter plants, values ​​from 75 to 95% by weight for EAF and proportions of 75 to 95% by weight for SAF applications, or values ​​from 75 to 90% by weight for pelletizing applications.

[021] The C-fix is ​​driven by the pyrolysis reaction conditions. Therefore, the composition and proportion of pyrolysis gas are mostly dependent on the requirements for the quality of charcoal to be used in the metallurgical furnace. Typically, the pyrolysis gas after biomass treatment has well-defined molar ratios. Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 117 / 149 13 / 34 low (H2+CO) / (H2O+CO2), such as from about 0.2 to about 0.6, due to the presence of a relatively important amount of H2O, such as up to 50% by weight or more of the total weight of the pyrolysis gas produced during biomass pyrolysis, and due to the presence of a significant amount of CO2 in the resulting pyrolysis gas.

[022] In embodiments, the first pyrolysis gas fixed comprises non-condensable gases such as H2, CO, CO2, CH4 and C2H4 etc., as well as condensable gases such as H2O, tars, higher hydrocarbons, alcohols and acids etc.

[023] In embodiments, the reformer is operated, preferably at a temperature of about 700 to about 1500 °C, more preferably about 900 to about 1400 °C, generally, wherein the average residence time of the pyrolysis gas is about 2 to about 5 seconds. The average residence time represents the average duration of time during which a given quantity of gas needs to flow from the reformer inlet to the reformer outlet. The reformer is operated in the presence of oxygen-containing components to favor the reforming reactions that will transform the pyrolysis gas, i.e., mainly tar components, into H2 and CO.When used or required, O2 is injected into the reformer at a substoichiometric oxygen / hydrocarbon ratio, generally from about 0.2 to about 0.9, or from about 0.25 to about 0.7, or preferably from about 0.3 to about 0.5, to remove >95% or preferably >98% of biomass tars and produce enhanced pyrolysis gas comprising H2 and CO with a molar ratio (H2+CO) / (H2O+CO2) of about 1 to about 4. Partial oxidation is preferably a non-catalytic reaction. Advantageously, the temperature increase caused by partial exothermic oxidation partially maintains additional endothermic reactions, such as steam reforming and thermal cracking, which will advantageously transform a larger quantity of condensable fractions, such as H2O and organic condensable tars, leading to the (desired) (H2+CO) / (H2O+CO2) ratio of about 1 to about 4.Advantageously, after being treated in the reformer, the resulting enhanced pyrolysis gas is cooled and dried in a refurbished facility. Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 118 / 149 14 / 34 plus heat exchangers and / or in one or more wet cleaning units, such as wet precipitators and / or wet scrubbers, typically as wet spray-type cleaning and cooling stages, to condense and remove excess H2O. As a result, the fresh / cold enhanced pyrolysis gas obtained generally contains condensable organic components only in residual amounts, leading to a gas with a higher reducing potential and higher lower heating value (LHV) compared to hot enhanced pyrolysis gas. Furthermore, reducing the condensable components in the enhanced pyrolysis gas to only residual amounts also reduces the risk of condensation and makes the enhanced pyrolysis gas transportable through existing uninsulated and unheated pipelines for use elsewhere in the integrated metallurgical plant.In some embodiments, the enhanced pyrolysis gas is rapidly cooled in a series of wet spray-type cleaning and cooling stages. An advantage of rapid cooling is the control of the composition of the resulting fresh enhanced pyrolysis gas, i.e., the molar ratio (H2+CO) / (H2O+CO2), avoiding undesirable further reaction that could occur during the cooling process.

[024] In embodiments, the lower heating value (LHV) of the enhanced pyrolysis gas will commonly be quite low, such as from about 6 to about 14 MJ / kg or in terms of volumetric heating value such as from about 4 to about 12 MJ / Nm3. The lower heating value, or net calorific value, of a substance or fuel represents the amount of heat released by combustion of a specific quantity of that substance and returning the temperature of the combustion products to 150 °C. The LHV does not, therefore, consider that the latent heat of vaporization of H2O during the combustion process is recovered, i.e., LHV considers energy losses as energy used to vaporize H2O. In other words, the LHV is influenced by the presence of H2O and its value decreases when the concentration of H2O increases in the substance. As described above, the pyrolysis gas comprises condensable gases, vapor, and components. Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 119 / 149 15 / 34 condensable organics. Among these, H2O can represent from about 20 to about 25% by weight of the total weight of the pyrolysis gas, CO2 generally represents from about 14 to about 23% by weight, while hydrocarbons typically represent from about 50 to about 80% by weight, and H2 represents only about 0.5 to about 2% by weight of the total weight of the pyrolysis gas. During treatment in the reformer, most of the hydrocarbons, tars, and some of the H2O are converted into H2 and CO. In the resulting enhanced pyrolysis gas, H2O commonly represents about 15 to about 25% by weight of the total weight, CO2 typically represents about 25 to about 35% by weight, CO can represent about 45 to about 55% by weight, while hydrocarbons advantageously represent less than about 1% by weight and H2 typically represents from about 4 to about 6% by weight of the total weight of the enhanced pyrolysis gas.Notably, the LHV of the resulting enhanced pyrolysis gas is quite similar to the LHV of the pyrolysis gas, ranging from about 6 to about 15 MJ / kg, despite the fact that hydrocarbons with relatively higher LHV compared to other components present mainly in the pyrolysis gas are transformed during the reforming treatment in the reformer, causing H2 and C to become the main components of the enhanced pyrolysis gas. After treatment, the molar ratio (H2+CO) / (H2O+CO2) of the enhanced pyrolysis gas can be, for example, from about 1 to about 4, while the molar ratio (H2+CO) / (H2O+CO2) of a typical untreated pyrolysis gas is often from about 0.2 to about 0.6, making the enhanced pyrolysis gas a more reducing product with a similar LHV value.In advantageous embodiments, after cooling and drying, the enhanced pyrolysis gas becomes even more reducing with a higher LHV value, from about 10 to about 20 MJ / kg, resulting in a gas suitable for providing higher flame temperatures when burned than without cooling and drying. An advantage of the present invention is that the pyrolysis gas reforming treatment allows the tars to be transformed into easily transportable parts of the enhanced pyrolysis gas that is, after vapor condensation. Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 120 / 149 16 / 34 contained, composed mainly of non-condensable components without significantly reducing the LHV, i.e., the enhanced pyrolysis gas has almost the same lower heating value as untreated pyrolysis gas. It can thus be used to meet carbonaceous gas requirements, but with the advantage of being usable wherever fuel gas is needed in the metallurgical plant, without the risk of condensation, clogging, etc. In fact, one of the main disadvantages of pyrolysis gas is the presence of condensable fractions, such as tar, which, when leaving the pyrolysis reactor, are in the gaseous phase and rapidly condense into the liquid phase if transported throughout the metallurgical plant. The condensation of these components generally induces severe clogging and fouling of the pipe and valves during transport, making integration unfeasible.Conventionally, to avoid condensation, pyrolysis gas is usually burned directly after being recovered or a short distance from the pyrolysis reactor. However, advantageously, in the present invention, the enhanced pyrolysis gas, due to its composition, can be transported throughout the plant without being prone to undesirable condensation during transport or without the need for insulated or even heated pipelines. Furthermore, another advantage of the present invention is that the LHV and the total amount of energy of the resulting enhanced pyrolysis gas are close to those of the pyrolysis gases, meaning that during the transformation neither the net heating value nor the total gaseous energy is significantly reduced.In other words, not only does enhanced pyrolysis gas become easily transportable and thus usable in any unit where energy demand is required, but enhanced pyrolysis gas also has very similar energy levels to that of initial pyrolysis gas. Additionally, the unexpected properties of transportable enhanced pyrolysis gas allow for a combined integrated metallurgical plant where enhanced pyrolysis gas can contribute to meeting the energy demands of the metallurgical plant in terms of fuel, or allow for the implementation of a pyrolysis reactor in an existing plant to transport the enhanced pyrolysis gas. Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 121 / 149 17 / 34 in existing pipelines. Furthermore, not only can the energy demand of the metallurgical plant be at least partially met, but also biomass pyrolysis produces charcoal with a composition suitable for said integrated metallurgical plant. Therefore, the present invention has the notable advantage of allowing better use of all biomass pyrolysis products, with the high-quality charcoal fueling the metallurgical furnace while the improved pyrolysis gas meets the energy demand of the integrated metallurgical plant.

[025] In embodiments, an additional advantage of this integration method is that the resulting cooled and improved pyrolysis gas properties have a lower heating value similar to basic oxygen furnace gas. If necessary or desirable, fine-tuning of specific energy density and resulting flame temperature with existing infrastructure requirements can be done through adjustments to the reforming or natural gas enrichment process condition. Basic oxygen furnace gas is commonly used in a steel mill, and corresponding compression, conveying, and combustion facilities are readily available in many operating steel mills. In view of the reduction of the CO2 footprint, the production of basic oxygen furnace gas is likely to be reduced, as electric arc furnaces will replace basic oxygen furnaces in the future as a lower-emission alternative.This leaves an optimal gap to be filled with biomass-based charcoal and enhanced pyrolysis gas production. The present invention is therefore also easily implementable in existing steel mills by combining and locating a biomass pyrolysis plant together, while advantageously using existing gas infrastructure without major modernization. Fuel gas consumption from a steel mill also synergizes optimally with the enhanced pyrolysis gas produced by biomass pyrolysis. In the case of best practice in electric steelmaking, for example, a minimum amount of charcoal is generally required for EAF injection as a slag foaming agent to prevent thermal radiation losses and ensure good thermal efficiencies in the process. Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 122 / 149 18 / 34

[026] A typical EAF consumes, during the injection foaming stage, approximately 5-15 kg of coal / t of steel depending on the feed material composition. To produce this amount of coal, approximately 50-200 kWh of enhanced pyrolysis gas will be co-produced. While steel reheating for conditioning and rolling can typically use around 150 kWh - 500 kWh per ton of steel, arc furnace burners also require up to 50 kWh - 60 kWh of energy to heat the feed scrap material depending on the heating system. The two applications together require around 200 kWh - 560 kWh per ton of steel, not considering other burners that may be present in future plants, such as for reformers or preheaters in direct reduction systems. Many operating steel plants also include an integrated sinter or pelletizing plant, which in turn also require fuel gas in their burners.Therefore, it is almost guaranteed that the total amount of enhanced pyrolysis gas generated together can be used for fuel burners in the steel plant, because the plant's consumption will likely exceed the available enhanced pyrolysis gas.

[027] In embodiments, enhanced pyrolysis gas can be advantageously enriched with natural gas to increase the LHV value of the resulting enhanced pyrolysis gas to meet the prerequisites imposed by existing burners for stable flame and to achieve the required flame temperatures for necessary heat transfer. After enrichment, the enhanced pyrolysis gas can have an LHV value of about 10 to about 50 MJ / kg, preferably from about 20 to about 45 MJ / kg, more preferably from about 27 to 37 MJ / kg as values ​​of about 32 MJ / kg. Advantageously, an LHV value of about 32 MJ / kg makes the gas particularly useful as a substitute for conventional coke oven gas uses.

[028] In embodiments, the enhanced pyrolysis gas is cooled in one or more heat exchangers and / or in one or more wet cleaning units. Advantageously, the heat recovered during cooling is used to dry the Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 123 / 149 19 / 34 raw biomass in the optional drying unit and / or in heat recovery units to be used as a heating source in the metallurgical plant.

[029] One of the advantages of the present invention is the use of both products from biomass, namely, charcoal and pyrolysis gas. The charcoal formed can be used as a reducing agent, as a foaming agent, or as fuel. In addition, the pyrolysis gas can be used to meet at least partially the internal energy requirements for operating the integrated metallurgical plant. The synergistic use of charcoal and pyrolysis gas from biomass makes it possible to take full advantage of biomass pyrolysis in the integrated metallurgical plant to reduce CO2 emissions in the mining and metal industry.

[030] The invention also provides an integrated and combined charcoal pyrolysis metallurgical plant comprising a pyrolysis reactor, a reformer unit, drying and cleaning stages, and a metallurgical furnace. The integrated and combined charcoal pyrolysis metallurgical plant is configured to perform the pyrolysis of a biomass feedstock to produce charcoal and pyrolysis gas. The pyrolysis gas is further treated in the reformer, and the resulting enhanced pyrolysis gas is further cleaned and dried in the drying and cleaning units. The charcoal and enhanced pyrolysis gas obtained can be further used in the metallurgical furnaces and consumers present in the integrated and combined charcoal pyrolysis metallurgical plant.In another embodiment, the integrated and combined charcoal pyrolysis metallurgical plant may also include a biomass drying unit to dry the biomass input on-site and a compressor to compress the enhanced pyrolysis gas, which will be transported to consumers and / or the integrated plant's metallurgical furnace. In other words, the invention relates to an integrated and combined charcoal pyrolysis metallurgical plant adapted to perform the method described in the present invention. Thus, the invention also relates to the use in an integrated and combined charcoal pyrolysis metallurgical plant, including a pyrolysis reactor and a metallurgical plant, of a treatment of at least part of one. Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 124 / 149 20 / 34 Pyrolysis gas produced in the pyrolysis reactor in a reformer in the presence of oxygen-containing components and a cooling of the resulting enhanced pyrolysis gas exiting the reformer to produce a cold enhanced pyrolysis gas with reduced risk of condensation and reduced risk resulting from clogging and fouling of pipes and valves during transport of said cold enhanced pyrolysis gas in an integrated and combined charcoal pyrolysis metallurgical plant, wherein the cold enhanced pyrolysis gas is produced, preferably, according to the method described in the present invention.

[031] In various forms, biomass comes from industrial waste, agricultural residues, forestry and wood residues, algae, organic waste, municipal waste, etc.

[032] “About” in the present context means that a given numerical value covers a range of values ​​from -10% to +10% of said numerical value, preferably a range of values ​​from -5% to +5% of said numerical value or even a range of values ​​from -2.5% to +2.5% of said numerical value. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[033] Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a type of integrated metallurgical plant; and Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an additional embodiment of an integrated metallurgical plant.

[034] Additional details and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of various non-limiting embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED OPTIONS

[035] Figure 1 shows a simplified schematic of an integrated metallurgical plant illustrating an embodiment of the present invention. The integrated and combined metallurgical plant includes a pyrolysis reactor 30, a consumer in the plant. Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pages 125 / 149 21 / 34 metallurgical, such as a metallurgical furnace 6, a reformer 60 and other units 7 where gas for fuel or other purposes may be required depending on demand. The pyrolysis reactor 30 can be any conventional pyrolysis reactor, into which dry raw biomass 21 is loaded. If desired or necessary, the raw biomass is dried before being fed into the pyrolysis reactor to prevent the formation of excess steam and oxygenated products during the pyrolysis reaction. The raw biomass can be dried outside the integrated metallurgical plant. In other embodiments, the raw biomass can be dried on-site before entering the pyrolysis reactor. The raw / dried dry biomass 21 is introduced into the pyrolysis reactor and pyrolyzed at temperatures from about 250 to about 350 °C, from about 400 to about 500 °C, from about 450 to about 600 °C, or from about 550 to about 800 °C.In other methods, raw biomass can be pre-treated before the drying stage. Raw biomass, especially when it has a high content of alkali metals, can be washed (not shown) to reduce the content of alkali metals that are harmful to the metallurgical process. Such biomass usually derives from fast-growing plant biomass or contaminated biomass.

[036] Biomass pyrolysis generates charcoal 33 and a pyrolysis gas 31, wherein the relative proportions of gas depend on the pyrolysis conditions actually used. During pyrolysis, as the temperature increases, raw / dry biomass 21 is decomposed and charcoal 33 is produced, as well as said pyrolysis gas comprised of non-condensable and condensable gases such as tars. To accelerate and increase the C-fix concentration of the resulting charcoal 33, i.e., to remove potential tars or gases retained within the charcoal 33, the pyrolysis temperature is preferably higher than 400 °C. As the temperature increases, the C-fix of charcoal increases, while the amount of charcoal formed decreases. Meanwhile, more condensable and non-condensable gases are formed. As a consequence, a charcoal 3 with a C-fix suitable for metallurgical processes is often Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 126 / 149 22 / 34 relates to a pyrolysis process that produces byproducts containing large quantities of tars and non-condensable gases that would be difficult to use / recycle in the metallurgical plant. In fact, the pyrolysis gases produced are generally not suitable for use as a high-quality reducing gas, and the nature of the condensable gases makes them difficult to transport elsewhere within the plant in existing pipelines due to condensation and clogging problems during transport.

[037] Advantageously, the pyrolysis temperature is chosen according to the desired Cfix required for the metallurgical furnace fed with said charcoal 33. The charcoal generally exits the pyrolysis reactor at a temperature from about 300 to about 600 °C and is, after optional cooling and size preparation, transported to the metallurgical furnace 6 to be used as a reducing agent, carburetor or as fuel.

[038] Pyrolysis gas 31 is recovered during pyrolysis and generally exits the pyrolysis reactor at temperatures approximately 0 to 50 °C lower than the peak pyrolysis temperature. The composition of pyrolysis gas 31 depends on the nature of the biomass and the pyrolysis temperature, but generally comprises H2, CO, CO2, CH4 and other hydrocarbons and oxygenated compounds with a low vaporization temperature, but also tars comprising higher hydrocarbons and oxygenated compounds as well as H2O formed during pyrolysis. Pyrolysis gas 31, in some embodiments, can be cleaned in one or more mechanical separators, such as inertial separators, settling chambers, baffle chambers and centrifugal collectors, for example, a cyclone separator, to remove fine dusts that could have been carried within the pyrolysis gas 31.The fine pyrolysis powders, i.e., the very fine particles of charcoal, can then optionally be sent and mixed with the charcoal to obtain a charcoal with very fine particles having an additional enriched carbon content and increased solid yield of valuable charcoal. After being freed from dust, the clean pyrolysis gas 51 is separated into two streams. Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 127 / 149 23 / 34 The pyrolysis gas 31 is then divided into two streams. Preferably, one part of the pyrolysis gas 31, the so-called second pyrolysis gas stream 53, is used directly as a fuel, generally without further treatment, to generate the heat required for the pyrolysis reactor. The other part, the so-called first pyrolysis gas stream 52, is sent to a reformer 60 to transform the condensable organic gases and vapor into non-condensable gases that can be used, for example, as fuel gas on-site, in consumers 7 that are not directly in close proximity to the pyrolysis reactor and thus need to be transported through the integrated metallurgical plant. The reformer has an input of components containing oxygen, such as air, O2, CO2 or H2O in stream 4. The reformer 60 is preferably operated at temperatures of about 900 to 1400 °C and at pressures of about 0.01 to 1 barg in the presence of oxygen-containing components.Oxygen-containing components are used as a reagent to promote partial oxidation, steam reforming, and / or dry reforming of the first pyrolysis gas stream 52. The aforementioned reactions generally transform tars into CO and H2. Advantageously, the input of oxygen-containing components is controlled to maintain a minimum injection rate, i.e., to maintain the O2 concentration at a substoichiometric oxidation reaction condition, to optimize the reaction and its product gas composition, more particularly the molar ratio (H2+CO) / (H2O+CO2). The substoichiometric ratio at which the equivalence ratio for complete stoichiometric combustion is from about 0.2 to 0.9, preferably below 0.8, preferably below 0.5, more preferably below 0.2 equivalence ratio. Furthermore, an excess of O2 can trigger other reactions and produce highly oxygenated compounds that are undesirable, as can an excess of CO2.Partial oxidation, steam reforming and / or dry reforming often occur, conventionally, in the presence of a catalyst. However, in the present invention, these reactions are preferably operated without a catalyst, which can be easily polluted and inhibited by the presence of tars composing the (first clean stream 52) gas. Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 128 / 149 24 / 34 Pyrolysis. Reforming allows the transformation of hydrocarbons of any size, i.e., any number of carbon atoms, into CO and H2, thus reducing the proportion of condensable organic gases. Furthermore, the exothermic partial oxidation reaction can contribute to heating the pyrolysis gas to the reforming temperature and / or maintain other endothermic reactions that can occur simultaneously within the reformer. For example, steam reforming, which is endothermic and reforms steam and hydrocarbons into CO and H2. Additionally, other reactions can occur within the reformer, such as endothermic cracking, without the need for a dedicated cracking reactor, reducing the overall process cost. The combination of all reactions drastically reduces the fraction of condensable gases, and the enhanced pyrolysis gas 61 exiting the reformer 60 is enriched in H2 and CO.The enhanced pyrolysis gas stream 61 also comprises CO2 and other gases, as well as unreacted tar residues and higher hydrocarbons. Preferably, the unreacted tar residues and other hydrocarbons represent less than 5% by weight of the total weight of the enhanced pyrolysis gas, more preferably less than 1% by weight of the total weight of the enhanced pyrolysis gas. The enhanced pyrolysis gas 61 has a molar composition of (H2+CO) / (H2O+CO2) from about 1 to about 4.

[039] Enhanced pyrolysis gas 61 exits the reformer 60 at a temperature of about 1000 °C and can be cooled in heat exchangers and / or wet coolers 70 to reach temperatures of about 40 °C to form a (stream of) cold enhanced pyrolysis gas 71. The cold enhanced pyrolysis gas 71 can be transported through conventional pipelines already installed in the integrated metallurgical plant to be distributed to consumers 7, such as a burner or metallurgical furnace, that need energy to operate. Advantageously, the cooling step further improves the LHV of the resulting gas by condensing and thus removing H2O residues, but also improves the molar ratio (H2+CO) / (H2O+CO2) from 1-4 to about 2-10.

[040] One advantage of the present invention is that, like oxygen furnaces Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pages 129 / 149 25 / 34 basic fuels will probably be gradually replaced, the improved pyrolysis gas obtainable by the present invention will allow the supply of an alternative fuel source with very similar properties in terms of lower heating value and therefore flame temperature.

[041] Figure 2 illustrates a second embodiment of an integrated metallurgical plant. In this embodiment, the raw biomass 1 is dried on-site in the drying unit 20 before being injected as dry (raw) biomass 21 into the pyrolysis reactor 30. The raw biomass 1 is loaded into a conventional drying unit 20 which can be operated at temperatures between 50 and 150 °C. Advantageously, drying the raw biomass on-site allows the use of low-temperature heating sources, i.e., 50 to 400 °C, preferably 60 to 200 °C, which are generally not used / usable in an integrated metallurgical plant. Drying the biomass has the advantage of removing some of the moisture naturally contained in it depending on the biomass input. The dry (raw) biomass 21 exits the drying unit 20 at temperatures of approximately 100 °C and is sent to the pyrolysis reactor 30.Since the dry (raw) biomass 21 is already at a temperature of about 100 °C, the heating requirements to reach the pyrolysis temperature are advantageously reduced. Similarly to the embodiment above, charcoal 32 is produced in the pyrolysis reactor 30 and is used as a reducing agent and / or fuel in the metallurgical furnace 6. The pyrolysis gas 32, comprising condensable and non-condensable organic gases and vapor, is recovered and is freed of most of the fine dust (very fine particles of charcoal 32') in a mechanical separator 50, such as inertial separators, settling chambers, baffle chambers and centrifugal collectors, for example, a cyclone separator, to remove fine dust that could have been carried in the pyrolysis gas 31.Optionally, the very fine particles of recovered charcoal 32 are added to the charcoal 32 extracted from the pyrolysis reactor 30 to obtain a charcoal with very fine particles 33 having an additional enriched carbon content and increased solid yield of valuable charcoal. Charcoal or optionally the. Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 130 / 149 26 / 34 Charcoal combined with very fine charcoal particles 33 is ready for use in the metallurgical furnace 6. Very fine charcoal particles 33 are optionally subjected to a further cooling and sizing step (not shown) for use in the metallurgical furnace. After being dust-free in the mechanical separator 50, the clean pyrolysis gas 51 can be separated into two streams. A portion of the clean pyrolysis gas (the so-called second pyrolysis gas stream 53) can be sent to the furnace / incinerator 40 to be used as fuel gas to heat the pyrolysis reactor 30. The burned pyrolysis gas can be bled as flue gas 5 or its heat can be used to heat the drying unit 20.

[042] The other part, the so-called first pyrolysis gas stream 52, is treated in the reformer 60 fed with a stream of oxygen-containing components 4, such as air, O2, CO2 or H2O from a suitable source 3. Similar to the first embodiment, the reformer operates in the presence of low amounts of oxygen under substoichiometric conditions. The first pyrolysis gas stream 52 is transformed into an enhanced pyrolysis gas (stream) 61 comprising mainly H2 and CO, as well as H2O, unreacted CO2 and residual amounts of tars. Advantageously, the enhanced pyrolysis gas 61 is further cooled through heat exchangers 70 to reach a temperature of about 60 °C to provide a cold enhanced pyrolysis gas (stream) 71. Furthermore, the cooling will provide an even more enhanced pyrolysis gas, having a higher LHV, and being even more transportable compared to the hot enhanced pyrolysis gas.Additionally, the heat recovered in heat exchangers 70 can be used elsewhere on site where needed. In some embodiments, the enhanced cold pyrolysis gas 71 is further treated in a wet scrubber 80 and / or a wet precipitator 90 to be further cooled and cleaned. In some embodiments, the cooling is performed using wet spray-type cooling and cleaning stages to increase the cooling rate and thus inhibit undesirable reaction that may occur during cooling. Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 131 / 149 27 / 34 maintaining the desired composition of the enhanced pyrolysis gas. The resulting clean, cold enhanced pyrolysis gas 91, comprising low amounts of condensable gas, primarily low amounts of H2O, can be easily transported throughout the integrated metallurgical plant as a gas without the risk of condensation or clogging. Furthermore, the clean, cold enhanced pyrolysis gas 91, comprising low amounts of H2O, has a notable (H2+CO) / (H2O+CO2) ratio of approximately 2-7, i.e., a higher reducing potential and a higher LHV value of approximately 7 to 17 MJ / kg. Depending on its use, the clean, cold enhanced pyrolysis gas 91 will normally be compressed in compressor 100 so that it can reach the chosen consumers, such as a burner or metallurgical furnace 7, depending on the requirements on site.Since compressed enhanced pyrolysis gas 101 has relatively low LHV values ​​compared to conventional burner gas, such as natural gas, it may be advantageous or necessary to enrich it, for example, with natural gas, to adjust its LHV as desired. The stream 101 is then further mixed with a natural gas stream 102 from a natural gas unit source 110 to provide a natural gas-enriched enhanced pyrolysis gas 103. Advantageously, the enhanced pyrolysis gas has a very similar LHV value and composition to basic oxygen furnace exhaust gas. Therefore, the process can be easily implemented in existing metallurgical plants, where advantageously basic oxygen furnace gas burners may already be installed, such as in a steel plant, to meet the power demand of the steel plant.

[043] Another advantage of the present invention is the synergistic use of both products from biomass pyrolysis. The charcoal formed can be used as a reducing agent, as a carburizing agent, as a slag foaming agent or as fuel, while the pyrolysis gas can be used to meet the internal energy and / or carbon requirements to operate the integrated metallurgical plant. TABLE 1: THIS TABLE PROVIDES COMPOSITIONS Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 132 / 149 28 / 34 Examples and properties of pyrolysis gas before treatment in the reformer, depending on pyrolysis conditions: Pyrolysis temperature 300-350 °C 450-600 °C 600-800 °C Typical application PCI EAF SAF / 72 + CO H2O + O02 0.2-0.4 0.2-0.5 0.3-0.6 Non-condensable gas 0.05-0.20 kgGas / kgFeed 5-20 % by weight 0.25-0.40 kgGas / kgFeed 25-40 % by weight 0.25-0.50 kgGas / kgFeed 25-50 % by weight N2 0-5 % by weight 0-5 % by weight 0-5 % by weight H2 0.5-1 % by weight 0.5-1 % by weight 0.5-2 % by weight CO 4-6 % by weight 5-7 % by weight 6-10 % by weight CO2 17-23% by weight 14-16% by weight 14-16% by weight CH4 1-2% by weight 1-2% by weight 1.5-4% by weight C2H4 1-2% by weight 1-2% by weight 1-2% by weight Water vapor (H2O) 20-25% by weight 20-25% by weight 20-25% by weight Condensable organic gas (tar) 0.05-0.20 kg Tar / kg Feed 5-20% by weight 0.25-0.40 kg Tar / kg Feed 25-40% by weight 0.25-0.40 kg Tar / kg Feed 25-40% by weight LHV 8-16 MJ / kg 8-16 MJ / kg 12-20 MJ / kg

[044] Table 2: This table provides exemplary compositions and properties of pyrolysis gas after treatment in the reformer, i.e., of the enhanced pyrolysis gas, depending on the pyrolysis and the reformers:____________________ Pyrolysis temperature: 300-350 °C, 450-600 °C, 600-800 °C Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 133 / 149 29 / 34 Typical Application PCI EAF SAF H2 + CO 1-4 1-4 1-4 H2O + CO2 Reforming Temperature °C 900-1400 900-1400 900-1400 N2 0-25% vol. 0-20% w / w 0-25% vol. 0-20% w / w 0-25% vol. 0-20% w / w H2 30-45% vol. 4-6% w / w 30-45% vol. 4-6% w / w 30-45% vol. 4-6% w / w CO 25-40% vol. 45-55% w / w 25-40% vol. 45-55% w / w 25-40% vol. 45-55% w / w CO2 10-15% vol. 25-35% by weight 10-15% by volume 25-35% by weight 10-15% by volume 25-35% by weight CH4 <1% by volume <1% by weight <1% by weight <1% by weight <1% by weight <1% by weight C2H4 <1% by volume <1% by weight <1% by weight <1% by weight <1% by weight <1% by weight h2o 15-25% by volume 15-25% by weight 15-25% by weight 15-25% by weight 15-25% by weight Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 134 / 149 30 / 34 Tar <2% by weight <2% by weight <2% by weight LHV 6-14 MJ / kg 6-14 MJ / kg 6-14 MJ / kg

[045] Table 3: this table provides exemplary compositions and properties of pyrolysis gas after treatment in the reformer followed by cooling and condensation steps, i.e., of pyrolysis gas enhanced with a minimum amount of H2O, depending on the pyrolysis and partial oxidation reactor conditions. Pyrolysis temperature 300-350 °C 450-600 °C 600-700 °C Typical application PCI EAF SAF H2 + CO H2O + CO2 2-7 2-7 2-7 Partial oxidation temperature °C 900-1400 900-1400 900-1400 H2 35-50 % vol. 4-6 % by weight 35-50 % vol. 4-6 % by weight 35-50 % vol. 4-6 % by weight CO 30-45 % vol. 50-60 % by weight 30-45 % vol. 50-60 % by weight 30-45 % vol. 50-60 % by weight CO2 10-15 % vol. 25-35 % by weight 10-15% vol. 25-35% by weight 10-15% by volume 25-35% by weight CH4 <1% by volume <1% by weight <1% by weight <1% by volume <1% by weight <1% by weight C2H4 <1% by volume <1% by weight <1% by weight <1% by volume <1% by weight <1% by weight Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pages 135 / 149 31 / 34 H2O 5-10% vol. 4-8% by weight 5-10% vol. 4-8% by weight 5-10% vol. 4-8% by weight Tar <1% by weight <1% by weight <1% by weight LHV 10-20 MJ / kg 10-20 MJ / kg 10-20 MJ / kg

[046] Table 4: This table provides examples of the C-fix values ​​obtained depending on the pyrolysis temperature and the targeted application:________________ C-fix Pyrolysis Temperature Required Comment EAF Injection 75-95% 450-800 °C Low volatile content is desirable to ensure structural integrity during injection to avoid explosive disintegration, which can prevent particles from tinting the run. SAF Carbon 75-95% 600-800 °C Volatiles cannot be tolerated by some SAF feedstock systems. Since biomass typically has low ash content, it means that a very high degree of pyrolysis is required. BF PCI 50-75% 300-350 °C Increased energy density is required to achieve the required RAFT (Adiabatic Flame Temperature of the Runway) at the injection point for stable operating criteria in the runway or cohesive zone without excessive oxygen injection. Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 136 / 149 32 / 34 Sintering 70-80% 400-500 °C Typically, sinter uses coke fragments with a high C-fix content. Around 70-80% C-fix in charcoal is needed to achieve good sinter yield and productivity. Even higher C-fix is ​​needed to match sinter yield with coke.

[047] The data from Tables 1, 2, and 3 show that, after treatment of the pyrolysis gas in the reformer, the resulting enhanced pyrolysis gas mainly comprises H2 and CO with a ratio of (H2 + CO) / (H2O + CO2) increasing from 0.2-0.6 to 1-4 and from 0.2-0.6 to 2-7 for the cold enhanced pyrolysis gas, illustrating the beneficiation of the enhanced pyrolysis gas with H2 and CO. Notably, the LHV value of the pyrolysis gas does not change significantly after treatment, i.e., the LHV value of the pyrolysis gas is similar to the LHV value of the resulting enhanced pyrolysis gas, even though hydrocarbons are transformed into H2 and CO during reforming. Furthermore, as can be seen in Table 4, different applications can be targeted with the process if the C-fix of the resulting charcoal is optimized for said application. Additionally, another advantage of the present invention is the synergistic use of both pyrolysis gas and charcoal.The production of high-quality charcoal always involves the formation of a pyrolysis gas comprising a large quantity of condensable and non-condensable gases that are not suitable as a good quality reducing agent. Furthermore, the resulting pyrolysis gas can only be used without further treatment as fuel gas in close proximity to the pyrolysis reactor due to the presence of condensable gases. An advantage of the present invention is that the resulting enhanced pyrolysis gas will remain gaseous under all pressure and temperature conditions conventionally used during gas transport. While it would seem possible to use the condensable gases to enhance the carbon content of the charcoal by mixing the condensate gases with the charcoal, this method would require the separation of the non-condensable gases from the charcoal. Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 137 / 149 33 / 34 condensable and would also increase the volatile content of charcoal, which negatively affects some charcoal applications. In contrast, the present invention does not require the separation of both types of gases according to their volatility or polarity, for example, since they are treated as a whole in the reformer. CAPTION: Raw biomass / raw carbon-rich input Source of components that contain oxygen, for example, air. Flow of components containing oxygen, for example, air. Combustion gas flow Metallurgical furnace Consumers, for example, furnace (metallurgical) Drying unit Dry (gross) biomass Pyrolysis reactor Pyrolysis gas Coal 32' Very fine particles of charcoal Coal with very fine particles Furnace / Incinerator Mechanical separator Clean pyrolysis gas First pyrolysis gas stream Second pyrolysis gas flow Enhanced Pyrolysis Gas Reformer (Flow) Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 138 / 149 34 / 34 Heat exchangers and / or wet coolers (Flow of) enhanced cold pyrolysis gas Wet scrubber Wet precipitator (Flow of) enhanced clean pyrolysis gas Compressor Compressed enhanced pyrolysis gas Natural gas flow Enhanced pyrolysis gas enriched with natural gas. Natural gas unit source. Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pages 139 / 149

Claims

1 / 4 CLAIMS 1. Method for operating an integrated and combined charcoal pyrolysis metallurgical plant, including a pyrolysis reactor and a metallurgical plant, characterized by comprising: - feeding the pyrolysis reactor with a feedstock rich in dry crude carbon; - pyrolyzing said feedstock rich in dry crude carbon to produce charcoal and pyrolysis gas; - operating the metallurgical plant in which at least part of the charcoal is introduced as fuel and / or reducing agent and / or carburizing agent and / or slag foaming agent in the metallurgical plant; - treating at least part of the pyrolysis gas as a first pyrolysis gas stream in a non-catalytic reformer in the presence of oxygen-containing components, preferably air, O2, CO2 and / or H2O to form an enhanced pyrolysis gas rich in H2 and CO, and comprising less than 1% by weight of hydrocarbons;(e) - cooling the enhanced pyrolysis gas exiting the reformer in one or more heat exchangers and / or one or more wet cleaning stages and / or one or more spray cooling / cooling stages to produce a cool enhanced pyrolysis gas at a temperature below 100 °C, said cool enhanced pyrolysis gas having a molar ratio (H2+CO) / (H2O+CO2) from 2 to 10, preferably from 4 to 7 and / or a lower heating value of 10 to 20 MJ / kg; - wherein the cool enhanced pyrolysis gas is transported through the integrated and combined charcoal pyrolysis metallurgical plant and is further used by remote consumers as a fuel gas, as a reducing gas and / or as a carburizing gas.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the enhanced pyrolysis gas exiting the reformer has a molar ratio (H2+CO) / (H2O+CO2) of 1 to 4. Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 146 / 149 2 / 4 3. Method, according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the reformer is operated at a temperature of 700 to 1500 °C, preferably 900 to 1400 °C and / or for a residence time of 2 to 5 seconds.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the reformer is operated such that the enhanced pyrolysis gas exiting the reformer has a lower heating value of 6 to 14 MJ / kg, preferably 9 to 14 MJ / kg.

5. Method, according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the cold enhanced pyrolysis gas is compressed before transport.

6. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the enhanced pyrolysis gas is mixed with natural gas so as to obtain a gas mixture with a lower heating value of 10 to 50 MJ / kg, preferably 20 to 45 MJ / kg, more preferably 27 to 37 MJ / kg, in particular 32 MJ / kg.

7. A method, according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that any untreated portion of pyrolysis gas is sent as a second pyrolysis gas stream to a furnace to be used as a fuel gas to generate heat for the pyrolysis reactor and / or a drying unit.

8. Method, according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the drying of raw carbon-rich input is carried out at temperatures from 45 to 400 °C, preferably from 50 to 150 °C.

9. A method, according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the pyrolysis gas is treated in a mechanical separator to separate powders, very fine particles and other residues generated during pyrolysis from the pyrolysis gas, said very fine particles of powder and other residues preferably being added to charcoal.

10. Method, according to any one of claims 1 to 9, Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, p. 147 / 149 3 / 4 characterized in that the pyrolysis reactor is operated at temperatures from 250 to 800 °C, preferably from 300 to 350 °C, from 400 to 500 °C, from 450 to 600 °C, or from 550 to 700 °C.

11. A method, according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the pyrolysis reactor is operated in such a way that the charcoal has a fixed carbon content of 50 to 95% by weight, preferably 50 to 70% by weight, 70 to 80% by weight, or 75 to 95% by weight, of the total weight of the charcoal.

12. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the first pyrolysis gas stream comprises non-condensable gases such as H2, CO, CO2, CH4 and C2H4, comprises steam and comprises condensable organic gases such as tars, alcohols, acids and other organic compounds.

13. A method, according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the first pyrolysis gas stream is treated in a reformer fed with oxygen-containing components at a substoichiometric O2 concentration compared to the hydrocarbon concentration, in a non-catalytic reforming or partial oxidation reaction.

14. A method, according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized by comprising the additional step in which the stream of oxygen-containing components to the reformer is produced at temperatures above 1500 °C, preferably above 2500 °C and more preferably above 3000 °C by combustion of a fuel, wherein the fuel is chosen from natural gas, biogas, naphtha, coal and heavy fuel oils and / or from metallurgical by-products such as coke fragments, tars or coke oven gas, to produce a hot stream of oxygen-containing components for the reforming reaction, preferably in the form of O2 and / or CO2 and / or H2O.

15. Method, according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the heat recovered during the cooling step is used to dry the raw carbon-rich input in the drying unit and / or in the heat recovery unit to be used as a heating source in the metallurgical plant.

16. A method, according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the integrated and combined charcoal pyrolysis metallurgical plant comprises a metallurgical furnace that is an electric arc furnace (EAF), and / or a blast furnace with pulverized coal injection (BF PCI) and / or a submerged arc furnace (SAF) and / or an open bath furnace (OBF) and / or a sinter plant, and / or a coke plant and / or a pellet plant and / or a lime plant.

17. Method, according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the raw carbon-rich input comprises biogenic and / or non-biogenic waste, such as industrial and agricultural waste, forestry and wood waste, algae, organic waste, plastic waste and / or municipal waste. Petition 870250088339, dated 09 / 29 / 2025, pp. 149 / 149

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