Zero Emissions (5)
Faisal Muhammad Alshammari
03 April 2023
The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that direct carbon dioxide emissions due to crude steel production amount to about 1.4 tons of CO2 per ton of production, and others estimate it to be higher at 1.85 metric tons per ton of steel. Because iron is linked to human industrial perception and its many uses, promoting the transformation of this industry is one of the pillars of addressing climate change, as it is currently responsible for more than 7% of global CO2 emissions.
By reducing emissions to zero levels, we will not enable the sustainability of the steel industry, but rather contribute to a better, cleaner future for our planet. Emissions range from 0.4 to 2 CO1 kg of scrap-only recycling-based steel, rising to 1.85 kg of CO1 and <> kg of steel for direct reduction manufacturing processes only.
Most sources of energy and heat come from fossil fuels in traditional manufacturing processes, often primarily using coal, raising average CO2 emissions from steel production to 1.85 tonnes per tonne of steel produced.
The iron and steel industry is the largest consumer of coal and the most intensive greenhouse gas intensive, consuming about 7% of the world's energy supply and conservative estimates that it is responsible for 7 to 9% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Is there a positive side to the steel industry that has been able to make its emissions low in carbon?
With secondary steel (scrap and recycling-based) steelmaking, the carbon footprint can be reduced to much lower than primary steel (based on iron ore), which makes recycling one of the ways to make steel an environmentally friendly material, as the natural state of steel provides many environmental benefits that other metals do not provide. Steel is classified as one of the most suitable metals for recycling, because its condition requires little maintenance and can be reused an unlimited number of times.
Steel is climate-friendly, being one of the most environmentally friendly interior design materials, because due to its strength, it does not need much to achieve its purpose, it is a flexible metal that can be recycled endlessly, as some steel mills use scrap only to produce new steel, and use relatively less energy in its production, and therefore the energy transition in this sector will have a high footprint.
What is green steel? It is steel manufactured without the use of fossil fuels, and "green hydrogen" can be used as one of the pillars of industrial solutions that can help reduce the carbon footprint of the steel industry, to produce only hydrogen and water when burned.
With the growth of global demand for steel, its footprint will rise, unless countries play their role and restore the environment as a focus of development, and a measure of feasibility adoption, by focusing on recycling, the use of clean energy, and raising energy efficiency, as the world is about to produce about two billion tons of iron per year in 2025, and perhaps the distinguished Emirati model is Emirates Steel, the leading national company that was pleased and proud of its initiatives that I saw during my participation in the activities of the Investment Forum in Abu Dhabi, which was held in Tokyo a few weeks ago. The participation did not contribute to the presentation of distant future plans, but rather a responsible environmental trend that sees the light of day daily, and we are confident that the success story of the UAE model will be a global beacon, and a distinguished success story, which will be presented at COP28.
Management Consultant, Digital Transformation and Certified Organizational Excellence Professional
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