11 July 2022
- Steel manufacturing produces more CO2 than any other heavy industry, comprising around 8% of total global emissions.
- Efforts are under way to move steel production away from coal-fired furnaces to ones powered by electricity or hydrogen.
- But producing green steel is an expensive process - and the industry needs to scale up rapidly to hit net-zero targets.
As
countries around the world look to build and expand cities and
infrastructure, they all have a voracious appetite for one thing: steel.
It is the most commonly used metal
in the world today and features in many aspects of our everyday lives -
from cars, aeroplanes and ships, to washing machines and household
items.
But as governments and
industries around the world look to reduce carbon emissions to reach
ambitious net-zero targets, steel is in the spotlight. Around 75% of steel is still largely made in coal-fired blast furnaces, which pump large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Huge amounts of energy are also needed to heat the furnaces to above 1,000C. Overall, steel production accounts for around 8% of global emissions.
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