To transform the iron and steelmaking processes from the integrated blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) route to the route direct reduction-electric arc furnace (DR-EAF), the existence of both routes at one steelmaking site is possible within the next 2 decades.
By operating a DR plant using existing infrastructure of an integrated site, the sintering process of the iron ore should be modified. The goal is to produce a sinter quality, that can be reduced efficiently in a DR shaft.

Apart from that, the current integrated route needs further investigation in terms of resource efficiency and environmental impact of the BF process. To support the production of climate-neutral steel, emissions of gaseous pollutants other than carbon dioxide from the BF also need to be investigated. There are still unanswered questions about the behavior of sulfur in the BF process, e.g., when using lower-quality raw or recycling materials. The quality of the starting material varies which leads to uncertainties in the process. It is of great interest for steelmakers to use low-cost materials with sulphur to maximize recycling. At the same time, process stability and product quality should be maintained to ensure a high level of competitiveness.