This article presents a techno-economic evaluation of various options for recovery and reuse of low temperature heat (LTH) with temperatures below 350°C. A process integration approach has been applied to illustrate the investment strategies for a typical European integrated steel plant towards positive energy and environmental effects. The modelling results indicate a CO2 reduction potential of 0.44-1.80% of the total CO2 emissions by recovering and reuse of LTH from the flue gas in various process units. The pay-back time depends on reuse pathways and waste heat temperature, varying from 0.5 to 7.6 years. The results are only valid for the simulated generic site. For the results implementation at real steel plants, local boundary conditions should be considered. © 2014 The Authors.