Tag: green steel

This year, for example, Mercedes Benz announced plans to “launch green steel in various vehicle models on the market as early as 2025”¹ in cooperation with a start-up. The aim is to save as much CO2 emissions as possible already during the production of the cars and their individual components instead of compensating them later on.

Volvo Cars presented its collaboration with a Swedish steelmaker to jointly develop fossil-free, high quality steel for use in the automotive industry².

In 2020, 78 million vehicles were manufactured

And looking at the high amount of steel used for car production, this might have a huge impact on the progress of green steel development:

2020 marks a crisis year in automotive manufacturing. Due to the pandemic, only 78 million vehicles were produced, a drop in production of 16 % compared to the previous year³.
On average, 900 kg of steel⁴ is used per vehicle, summing up to an amount of 70,2 million tonnes of steel for the automotive industry in 2020 alone. Assuming around 1.83 t of CO2 emissions per tonne of steel produced, the production of steel for automotive manufacturing alone causes 128.46 million t of CO2, not including logistics routes and assembly at the OEMs plants.

Therefore, the movement towards green – or at least greener – steel seems as a well-considered step that will sooner or later find imitators. Steel manufacturers supplying to the automotive industry should keep that in mind while having a closer look at their processes and also checking their reportings. 
There are smart solutions to support a smoother running and more efficient production with a reduction of yield losses, for example at casting and hot rolling operations, adding up to a better performance.  By integrating corresponding IIoT applications, production reporting can also be supported.

Green Steel is the topic of the hour. But why is it important?
Did you know that May 5th marks Germany’s Overshoot Day? This means that from January 1st until May 5th, German residents have consumed as many natural resources per person as the planet can renew for an entire year. These dates are calculated by the Footprint Data Foundation, York University, and the Global Footprint Network.

How to delay Overshoot Day?

A postponement of Overshoot Day is achievable if we take action to redesign our infrastructure, make industrial processes significantly more resource-efficient, decarbonize energy systems, and enhance CO2 sequestration.

Decarbonizing the economy: The key to climate action

The most effective way to combat climate change is by decarbonizing the economy. This would not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also improve the balance between our Ecological Footprint and the planet’s renewable resources.

One major contributor to CO2 emissions is the German steel industry, which emits over 60 million tons of CO2 equivalent annually. A significant portion of these emissions originates from coke production and hot metal production in blast furnaces. To address this issue, numerous large-scale industry decarbonization projects have been launched across Europe, making Green Steel a key focus of sustainable industrial transformation.

Enhancing efficiency in steel production

Due to variations in industrial systems, the exact emission impact of ancillary facilities remains uncertain. However, one undeniable fact is that these facilities contribute significantly to CO2 emissions.

This is where our solutions come into play. By improving operational efficiency, we help optimize smelting, casting, and hot rolling processes while reducing yield losses. Our innovations support a more sustainable and resource-efficient steel production process.

mecorad’s contribution to a greener future

At mecorad, we are committed to advancing sustainable steel production through innovative solutions that enable smoother, more efficient operations. By leveraging precision measurement technologies and smart process optimizations, we contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable future.

Together, we can push the Overshoot Day further into the year and pave the way for a truly sustainable industrial sector.