NORTH AMERICAN STEEL INDUSTRY: EMISSION REDUCTION

By nature, as an industrialized process, steelmaking generates a variety of air emissions, including air toxics and greenhouse gasses (GHG).

In 2003, the American Iron and Steel Institute joined Climate VISION, a voluntary program administered by DOE to reduce greenhouse gas intensity. Between 2002 and 2003, the industry reduced its energy intensity per ton of steel shipped by approximately 7 percent. Because of the close relationship between energy use and GHG emissions, the industry’s aggregate CO2 emissions per ton of steel shipped were reduced by a comparable percentage during this period.

In 2003, 75 facilities in the sector reported air toxics releases of 2.1 million pounds. This represents a 70 percent decrease from volumes reported in 1994. Toxicity-weighted results for air toxics releases were reduced by 69% over that same period.

Steelmaking generates GHG emissions both directly and indirectly. For example, the basic oxygen furnace steelmaking process produces CO2 when transforming coke and iron ore into iron. Additionally, both minimills and integrated mills consume significant amounts of electricity, the generation of which often results in GHG emissions. Despite increased production of steel , between 1994 and 2003, the industry's GHG emissions fell by more than 25%

Internationally, the steel industry has established the CO2 Breakthrough Program to fund the development of new steelmaking technologies that do not emit CO2. The program also includes research and development into technologies that capture and sequester CO2. You can read more about this effort in the case history below.

Case History: STEEL INDUSTRY EXPLORING NEW CO2-REDUCING STEEL MAKING PROCESSES