Climate change

Climate change is a global issue that requires global solutions. worldsteel acts as a focal point both for steel industry knowledge exchange and a shared global approach. It also works with the International Energy Agency, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and, through its members, the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate.

Use of steel in renewable energy applications

Specialty engineering steels are used to manufacture gears, bolts and bearings for wind turbines. Electrical steels are the vital component in converting kinetic energy from the wind into electrical energy. Steel plate is fabricated into tall wind towers that must withstand demanding weather conditions, onshore and offshore. Solar and bio-gas installations also rely on steel applications. Today more than ever, new and improved steels are needed.

Energy intensity

Energy efficiency has been a target for improvement within the steel industry long before climate change emerged as a global issue. As a result, over the past three decades steel companies have halved the energy consumed per tonne of steel produced, and the many initiatives of steel producers around the globe demonstrate the intensity of efforts in this area.

Greenhouse gas emissions

CO₂ emissions account for 99% of all steel industry greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The reduction of CO₂ from steel production is an established priority, as is the reduction of GHG emissions during the life cycle of products that use steel. Companies incorporate strategies into their everyday businesses to improve processes and drive product innovation in this direction.

The steel industry has pushed steel production processes very close to the theoretical minimum intensity of CO₂ per tonne of steel that is produced. Some minor gains can be made through the increased use of scrap, but scrap availability is a limiting factor. worldsteel coordinates a CO₂ breakthrough expert group on new technologies that can be researched and developed in a globally coordinated way. Research is taking place in the EU (ULCOS: 48 companies and 15 governments), the US (AISI), Canada (CSF), South America (ArcelorMittal Brasil), Japan (JISF), Korea (POSCO), China (Baosteel), Taiwan (China Steel) and Australia (Bluescope Steel and OneSteel with CSIRO). There is major government support for this work in the EU and Japan.

The current focus is on the feasibility at various levels of production, and on the careful upscaling to commercial volumes. Much will depend on the feasibility of implementing carbon capture and storage solutions and CO₂-lean electricity sources. In 2008, worldsteel set up a CO₂ emissions data collection programme, enabling every steel producing company in the world to submit their CO₂ emissions using a standardised methodology.