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Zero-Waste Initiatives in the Steel Industry

Steel is the foundation of our modern society, used in almost every aspect of our lives from skyscrapers to kitchen appliances. In 2022 alone, worldsteel estimated that 1,885 million tonnes of it were produced worldwide (1). It is completely recyclable and requires less energy to produce than many other materials, and yet, the steel industry has often been associated with significant environmental challenges, particularly in terms of waste generation. As a result, many leading steel manufacturers have taken steps to reduce the amount of waste and CO2 that is produced by the steelmaking process.

Understanding the Steel Industry’s Waste Problem
The steel manufacturing process is a lengthy one which involves various stages, from iron ore mining and extraction to the production of steel products. These complex tasks generate a significant amount of waste, including slag, dust and by-products which have traditionally been considered unavoidable. A study by leading steelmaker ArcelorMittal (2) revealed that manufacturing just one tonne of crude primary steel using the standard blast furnace/basic oxygen route uses 1,400 kg of iron ore, 800kg of coal, 300 kg of limestone, 120 kg of recycled steel and generates 600kg of by-products. To make matters worse, many of these by-products are often disposed of in landfills or stored on-site, creating further environmental and sustainability challenges.

However, as environmental concerns and regulations have become more exacting, the steel industry has begun to invest in innovative approaches to reduce waste and its impact on the environment.

Case Studies on Zero-Waste Initiatives

    1.) POSCO’s Pohang Works, South Korea: POSCO is one of the world’s leading steelmakers, with an annual output of over 45 million tonnes of crude steel in 2021. Over the last five years, the group have implemented a groundbreaking zero-waste initiative, with the goal of recycling or reusing 100% of the waste generated withing the facility. This focus on sustainability has led to some impressive statistics, as in 2022, the company was able to recycle 98.3% of their waste (3) and significantly reduce the by-products generated by the steelmaking process through process optimisation and innovative technologies.

    The remaining waste materials are utilised in eco-friendly construction projects, for ‘green’ cement and bricks made from dust and blast-furnace slag. Additionally, researchers at POSCO identified a similarity between the limestone used in the steelmaking process and the limestone found in shells, which resulted in the development of a new technology to convert abandoned shells into limestone and quicklime, reducing 410,000 tonnes (3) of carbon emissions.

    2.) Tata Steel’s Ijmuiden Plant, Netherlands: Tata Steel’s Ijmuiden Plant in the Netherlands is in the top five of Worldsteel’s environmental benchmark of 52 global steelmakers (4) and is another excellent example of a zero-waste initiative in the steel industry. In 2019, Tata Steel Ijmuiden laid out its Zero Carbon Roadmap, which includes several innovative projects aimed at minimising waste and promoting resource efficiency. These include the Everest and ATHOS projects, which focus on carbon capture, usage and storage, and the HIsarna project, an exciting new method for manufacturing iron. HIsarna is reportedly able to eliminate 100% of CO2 emissions when combined with carbon capture and is set to replace one of Tata’s blast furnaces in the near future.

    The plant has also invested in technologies to enable the recovery and recycling of various waste streams, including steel slag, gas emissions and residual materials, which are captured and reused in other construction ventures.

    3.) H2 Green Steel’s Boden Plant, Sweden: Founded in 2020, H2 Green Steel has had a clear company vision from the start: to accelerate the decarbonisation of the steel industry. The firm is in the process of building the world’s first large-scale green steel plant, which is expected to be completed by 2025 and will revolutionise the way that steel is manufactured. Compared to traditional steelmaking, H2’s process reduces CO2 emissions by up to 95% (5), as it is powered almost entirely by renewable energy. In addition, H2 have partnered with GreenIron H2, a Swedish startup, to collect and refine 150,000 tonnes (6) of residuals and waste materials from their steelmaking and create full value metals that can be re-used to make more steel.

    4.) ArcelorMittal’s Dofasco Plant, Canada: ArcelorMittal is the second largest steel producer in the world, producing 88 million tonnes of material in 2022. With steelmaking facilities in 19 countries around the world, ArcelorMittal has implemented many sustainable initiatives to decrease its carbon footprint, and a notable example of this is its Dofasco plant in Canada. In 2022, the firm broke ground on a CAD$1.8 billion decarbonisation project (7) that will transition the site to direct reduced iron (DRI) and electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking, a route that will remove coal from the ironmaking process and significantly decrease carbon emissions.

    The company has also shifted its focus to building a circular economy by repurposing waste materials generated during steel manufacturing. Blast furnace slag is used for construction by partner companies, while the waste gases are repurposed or converted for other uses.

    5.) SSAB’s Oxelösund Plant, Sweden: SSAB are specialised steel manufacturers with a global presence in over 50 countries, producing approximately 8 million tonnes of steel annually (8). The firm’s ambitious plans for the future have made them leaders in sustainability, and with the development of their HYBRIT technology, SSAB intends to be the first steel company to offer fossil-free steel to the market in 2026. Rather than using the traditional blast furnace route to produce their steel, SSAB’s HYBRIT technology replaces coking coal and natural gas with hydrogen, a process which eliminates carbon dioxide emissions and generates water as a by-product. As part of a campaign to demonstrate the effectiveness of their green steelmaking, the resulting water was bottled by SSAB and labelled ‘Pure Waste’ (9), an inspirational image that represents the possibilities for the future of the steel industry.
The steel industry has been undergoing a remarkable transformation in recent years by embracing zero-waste initiatives and sustainable practices. These case studies demonstrate that it is possible to reduce manufacturing waste in this traditionally resource-intensive sector by adopting innovative technologies, optimising processes and committing to circular economy principles. Taking this sustainable approach not only reduces their environmental footprint, but also improves their operational efficiency and competitiveness in the industry.

Author: Shirley Carruthers - Content Creator at ParkerSteel

References:
1. World Steel - World Steel in Figures 2023
2. ArcelorMittal - By Products, Scrap and the Circular Economy
3. Posco - Green Tomorrow Envisioned by Posco
4. Tata Steel Europe - Sustainability
5. H2 Green Steel - Roadmap Initiative As Climate Solutions Company
6. H2 Green Steel - Recycling of Iron Residual and Waste
7. ArcelorMittal - Low Carbon Emissions Steelmaking
8. Ssab - SSab In Brief
9. Ssab - Fossil-Free Steel

First published on 16/11/23

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