New blast furnace technologies and the use of green hydrogen or scrap steel make it possible to significantly reduce carbon emissions in the production of crude steel. Both green hydrogen and scrap steel are in limited supply worldwide, however.
Using green hydrogen to produce low-emission hot rolled steel strip
Approximately 90% of the carbon footprint of our steel materials results from the production of hot rolled steel strip (Scope 3) and is tracked by us using the “cradle-to-gate” approach. This approach takes all emissions into account – from iron ore extraction to steel production to delivery of the finished cold rolled steel strip through the Waelzholz factory gates.
In the future, it will be possible to replace conventional coal-fired blast furnaces with direct reduction systems (known as the DRI-EAF route*) that can be operated with green hydrogen. This switch will allow crude steel to be produced in an almost carbon-neutral manner. This will require green hydrogen to be available in the quantities required for this process.
It is already possible to significantly reduce the amount of carbon emissions generated by the production of crude steel from scrap today using the EAF process**. But the amount of scrap steel available is also limited.
Processes that can significantly reduce carbon emissions from crude steel production
Process A: DRI-EAFroute*
- Runs on green hydrogen in the future
- Up to 95% reduction in carbon emissions possible
- Can also be operated with natural gas in transitional phases (up to 60% reduction in carbon emissions possible)
Process B: EAF, scrap-based route*
- Uses 100% scrap steel (scrap supply limited, however)
- Generates only around 30% of the carbon emissions of the conventional blast furnace route
* DRI: direct reduced iron
** EAF: electrical arc furnace
Steel materials with a reduced carbon footprint
In addition to the technological basis for the transformation of a wide range of applications, we also offer verified, product-specific carbon footprints and real emissions reductions with our materials. Find out more in the adjacent brochure.
