Background The steel industry is an important contributor to the European economy. Steel manufacturers are generally conscious of the need to be environmentally responsible and have already made breakthroughs in developing low carbon-emission technologies. However, steelmakers also need to focus on other breakthrough technologies, notably those around cold-rolling processes. Cold rolling impacts on the environment in several ways, particularly the generation of acidic wastes, degreaser fumes, oil emissions, wastewater, dust and nitrogen oxides. Continuous annealing of strip gauge steels using high-density electrical induction heating is known to provide technical and environmental improvements in cold-rolling processes. This technology, known as Transverse Flux Induction Heating (TFIH), overcomes the higher costs and inflexibility of earlier continuous annealing processes, but take-up is still limited. Objectives The LIFE ECOTRANSFLUX project aimed to demonstrate that high-power Transverse Flux Induction Heating (TFIH) technology can be applied on new processing lines of steel cold-rolling plants. It also aimed to convince steelmakers that this innovative technology meets their quality, economic and capacity requirements with less environmental impacts. The project implemented a pilot Induction Bright Annealing Line (iBAL) consisting of heating and cooling sections, and a temperature control system that incorporated ECOTRANSFLUX high-density inductors, with the aim of demonstrating quick heating cycles and a positive impact on the metallurgic characteristics of the final products. The ultimate objective was the widespread use of TFIH technology in new annealing lines for stainless and carbon steel, with associated reductions in acid wastes, including acid fumes that contribute to acid rain, and emissions of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. Results The ECOTRANSFLUX project installed a scale 1 induction heating demonstrating unit in Fives Celes premises and made it readily available for steelmakers to carry out fast heating tests with 900 - 1 550 mm width strips, for process qualification purposes. A simulation of a continuous industrial line was performed to test the demonstrator. The process can be applied to the production of stainless steel, carbon steel and aluminium. Successful demonstrations on Austenitic stainless steels showed that the machine was operating in manual and automatic mode to temperatures up to 800°C, from ambient temperatures of 20°C. Energy gains expected in bright annealing and annealing and pickling for stainless steel are 70 kWh/T, based on heating between 20°C and 1 150°C, while expected energy gains in annealing of carbon steel are 23 kWh/T, based on heating between 700°C and 800°C. Energy savings predicted in France using the ECOTRANSFLUX technology, based on a yearly production of 500 kT (bright annealing), are 700 kT (annealing and pickling) for stainless steel, and 6 000 kT for carbon steel, amounting to 20 GWh, on the basis of a technological substitution of 20% on stainless steel and 2% on carbon steel production. Ecotransflux technology was shown to reduce the amount of acid wastes and carbon dioxide emissions generated by steel production. In the annealing-pickling process of stainless steel, annealed strips pass through a pickling bath to remove all traces of oxidation. Pickling baths contain acids such as sulphuric acid, nitric acid, hydrogen fluoride and molten salts of sodium sulphate. Project results suggested that a 20% substitution of the current stainless steel processing lines with the demonstrated technology would avoid the yearly consumption of 12 000 tonnes of nitric acid, and 4 000 tonnes of hydrofluoric acid and associated sludge. It would also avoid the emission of 3.2 tonnes of hydrogen fluoride gas; and the emission of 50 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide and 4 000 tonnes of nitrogen oxides, including nitrogen dioxide. A 2% global substitution of current carbon steel processing with the new technology would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 75 000 tonnes per year. The LIFE project demonstrated that its product, the EcoTransFlux™ inductor, was a powerful and innovative technology, mature in terms of industrial risks, and capable of delivering technical and environmental benefits such as improved energy efficiency and life cycle. There is no doubting the innovative aspect of the technology, as this is the only Transverse Flux Induction Heating (TFIH) demonstrator ready for industrial implementation at this time. The economical consequences of this innovative technology are huge and directly correlated to environmental impacts. In particular, this is due to a higher production rate, a better process reactivity, and a lower-weight material with improved mechanical properties. Furthermore, contributions to the green economy over the next five years are forecast in Five Celes’ business plan, due to a turnover increase and new employee recruitment. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).