Experts Say Coke Ovens Getting More Environmentally Conscience.

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Coke oven technology in the 21st century will cut down on harmful gas produced by burning coal at high temperatures, whether its done by recovering the gaseous byproducts or burning them in the ovens, industry experts said Tuesday.

The process by which noxious gases are burned in the coke ovens "is taking off in the U.S.," because it is a simpler process and poses less risk to the environment, said Hardarshan Valia, the co-chairman of the Met Coke World Summit, which opened yesterday in the Pittsburgh Hilton Hotel, Downtown. The event, which has attracted more than 200 industry representatives from around the world, continues through Thursday.

"You can't smell the benzene or the other gases. Most of the steelmakers are going that way," said Valia, a metallurgical coal consultant and president of Coal Science Inc., a consulting firm in Highland, Ind.

Coke, produced by burning pulverized bituminous coal inside sealed ovens at high temperatures for about 18 hours, is used as fuel in a blast furnace to make steel. U.S. production of coke has dropped in recent years as the steel industry consolidated and coke production moved overseas, a result of increased demand in China and India, and stricter U.S. environmental regulations, Valia said.