Methodology for the Selection of Key Performance Indicators for Sustainable Steel Production Through an Intelligent Control System Use

Abstract

Steel production is involved in a continuous improvement process forced by customers to enhance product quality as well as to reduce production costs. Moreover, both society and the regulators increase their pressure to reduce the environmental of this activity, so the decision process has necessarily to include the environmental perspective. This communication proposes the concept of an Intelligent Control System (ICS) to assist the optimization of the production process of steel in a holistic way, considering quality, economic and environmental parameters. Processes environmental evaluation are based on the definition of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) susceptible to be managed online by the ICS and this communication is devoted to the development of a methodology for KPI selection. Then, the procedure is applied to a case study, the Hot Strip Mill, and after its systematic application, a collection of KPIs based on GHG emissions monitoring and suitable to be managed automatically and in real time is proposed.