Solutions by
Performance
ArcelorMittal strives to make steel production more sustainable and to minimise its environmental impact. As a leader in steel manufacturing, we are committed to making steel production more sustainable at every stage. In addition, 95% of our steel industrial operations now have ISO 14001 certification, an international standard for environmental management systems.
- Our approach to Granite® is part of ArcelorMittal Flat Carbon Europe’s Nspired by Nature range, and it is certified as a product not containing hexavalent chromium or heavy metals.
- R2P - Ready to Paint coating on thin gauge, the cold rolled product, is an efficient solution to reduce environmental impact at customer plants; for example, for door production.
- Insulated sandwich panels are contributing to energy efficiency in the most demanding buildings such as cold rooms for the food industry and supermarkets.
“Safe Sustainable Steel” makes up the core values of ArcelorMittal. As such, our innovative products and solutions for construction are continuously contributing to the reduction of environmental impacts on buildings throughout their life.
Environmental impacts
In 2012, the EU-28’s construction sector accounted for:
- 40% of the total final energy consumption
- 40% of CO2 Emission
- 30% of consumption of natural resources
- 30% of waste generation
- 20% of water consumption
Consequently, the EU commission has started to adapt the EU directive regarding environmental assessment - the EIA Directive.
Useful information
MoreAccording to the European Commission, "The newly amended Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive (2014/52/EU) entered into force on 15 May 2014 to simplify the rules for assessing the potential effects of projects on the environment. Member States have to apply these rules as from 16 May 2017 at the latest." (http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eia/review.htm)
The Holistic Environmental Impact assessment for buildings is defined by European Standard EN 15978 in the scope of CEN TC 350 work programme. It takes into account the full life cycle of the building, including end of life, recycling after demolition, and energy production at the building level.
Related news & technical articles
EU supports ArcelorMittal to scale up breakthrough technology to reduce carbon emissions
28 May 2020The European Investment Bank (EIB), with the support of the European Commission, has granted a 75 million EUR loan to ArcelorMittal for the construction of two ground-breaking projects at ArcelorMittal Ghent, Belgium, to considerably reduce carbon emissions by converting waste and by-products into valuable new products, helping to develop low-carbon steelmaking technologies, in line with the EU’s climate objectives.
Corporate NewsNew EPD for heavy plates & structural steels
4 May 2020ArcelorMittal Europe - Flat Products has released a new EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) for heavy plates and structural steels.
Product NewsCDP declares ArcelorMittal at global leadership level on climate action
24 March 2020ArcelorMittal has been recognised by CDP for its leadership on corporate transparency and action on climate change from among over 8000 companies worldwide who were scored on their 2019 disclosures. ArcelorMittal scored an A- in the 2019 CDP Climate Change Assessment, an improvement from a C in 2017, which means the company has now reached leadership level.
Corporate NewsSteel and Skyscrapers: A Productive History and a Sustainable Future
The relationship between steel and skyscrapers has been ongoing for over one hundred years, and this affiliation is growing ever stronger. In the 1930s, steel facilitated the boom of high-rise construction, while high strength steel ushered in its resurgence in the 1970s. Thanks to its affordability and durability, steel has always been the material of choice for the design and construction of tall buildings’ principal structural systems.The current times bring with them a growing concern for sustainable development, including contradictory notions on the affordability, safety, and environmental impact of steel. This has resulted in some misperceptions about the role of steel in high-rise construction. In response to this, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) and ArcelorMittal partnered together on a research paper entitled ‘Steel and Skyscrapers: A Productive History and a Sustainable Future’ in order to illustrate the recent developments in the partnership between steel and skyscrapers that make it a strong, sustainable choice for high-rise construction.
Article
EU supports ArcelorMittal to scale up breakthrough technology to reduce carbon emissions
The European Investment Bank (EIB), with the support of the European Commission, has granted a 75 million EUR loan to ArcelorMittal for the construction of two ground-breaking projects at ArcelorMittal Ghent, Belgium, to considerably reduce carbon emissions by converting waste and by-products into valuable new products, helping to develop low-carbon steelmaking technologies, in line with the EU’s climate objectives.
Overview of the projects
Steelanol: a 165 million EUR industrial-scale demonstration plant that will capture waste gases from the blast furnace and biologically convert them into recycled-carbon ethanol, the first commercial product of ArcelorMittal’s Carbalyst® family of recycled carbon chemicals. The ethanol produced can be blended for use as a liquid fuel. The technology was developed by LanzaTech, with whom ArcelorMittal has entered a long-term partnership, together with Primetals and E4tech.
Once complete, the plant is expected to produce up to 80 million litres of recycled-carbon ethanol a year. The new installation will create up to 500 construction jobs over the next two years and 20 to 30 new permanent direct jobs. The project is expected to be completed in 2022.
Torero: a 50 million EUR large-scale demonstration plant to convert waste wood into bio-coal, partially replacing the coal currently injected into the blast furnace.
In the early stage, the Torero plant will be able to convert up to 60 000 tonnes of waste wood into around 40 000 tonnes of bio-coal every year. This volume will be doubled in a second stage of the project, after the start of the first Torero reactor. The new installation will create around 70 external jobs and will create around ten new permanent direct jobs for the operation of this installation. The plant, which is being developed in partnership with Torr-Coal, Renewi, Joanneum Research Centre, Graz University and Chalmers Technical University, is expected to be operational by the end of 2022.
Comments on the projects
EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle said: “Even in the current difficult times, Europe keeps its ambitious climate targets and the EIB, the EU climate bank, is committed to continuing to be a key partner. In particular in the steel industry, it means finding new ways to power machines and processes that are essential for reducing carbon emissions. Thanks to a strong partnership with the European Commission, the EIB is very pleased to support the Steelanol and Torero projects in their efforts to work on more climate friendly and competitive processes.”
Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: “This EU backed loan will enable us to demonstrate that European steelmaking plants can be competitive while reducing carbon emissions and help us attain our climate goals. More than this, if we invest in European research, education and innovation we can demonstrate the global leadership that can secure and strengthen these industries and the people and communities they support for future generations.”
Geert Van Poelvoorde, CEO ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products said: “To date we have committed more than 250 million EUR to developing and testing technology that will help make steelmaking carbon neutral, leveraging our R&D facilities around the world. These two projects are our first large-scale implementations of new breakthrough solutions, as part of our commitment to reduce carbon emissions and transform steel production. With the EIB and European Commission’s support, we can scale up technologies and transition steel to carbon neutrality, and thereby play a significant role in helping Europe achieve its green ambitions.”
Jennifer Holmgren, CEO LanzaTech said: “The European Commission and the EIB continue to play a key role in enabling a new carbon economy for Europe by supporting innovative projects. Chemicals and liquid fuels, especially in the aviation sector, still need a source of carbon, while power generation can and should be fully decarbonized. Carbon recycling gives us a choice as to where the carbon in our products comes from: fresh fossil or reused carbon emissions. Our groundbreaking partnership with ArcelorMittal highlights their continued leadership in helping to create a low carbon economy in Europe.”
Additional details
- The Steelanol and Torero projects are set to reduce up to 350 000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year in the first phase.
- The CO2 reduction is equivalent to greenhouse gas emissions of a quarter of a million passenger vehicles being driven for one year.
- ArcelorMittal Europe has committed to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030, with a further ambition to be carbon neutral by 2050, in line with the EU’s Green Deal and the Paris Agreement.
- EIB investment is supported by InnovFin Energy Demonstration Projects and financed under Horizon 2020 and the NER 300 funding programme of the European Commission.
Text: ArcelorMittal
Images: ArcelorMittal
Related link(s)
New EPD for heavy plates & structural steels
ArcelorMittal Europe - Flat Products has released a new EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) for heavy plates and structural steels.
This declaration refers to heavy plates - hot rolled products produced in dedicated quarto plate mills. It is certified by IBU (Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V.) according to standards ISO 14025 and EN 15804 and covers all structural steel grades according to EN 10025, including weathering steels.
Heavy plates for construction can be used in various construction applications such as:
- Buildings: structural and built-up welded sections, trusses, box girders for heavy industrial steel frames, high-rise buildings, long-span structures for transport terminals and other infrastructure.
- Road and railway bridges: steel and composite structures made of welded built-up sections or box girders or trusses, arch and bow-string bridges, pedestrian and bicycles bridges, cable-stayed and suspension decks, and pylon bridges.
You can also download this new EPD for our heavy steel plates in our Document library.
Related link(s)
CDP declares ArcelorMittal at global leadership level on climate action
ArcelorMittal has been recognised by CDP for its leadership on corporate transparency and action on climate change from among over 8000 companies worldwide who were scored on their 2019 disclosures. ArcelorMittal scored an A- in the 2019 CDP Climate Change Assessment, an improvement from a C in 2017, which means the company has now reached leadership level.
Among the top 11%
This puts ArcelorMittal among the top 11% of companies within our industry and compares favourably against the Global average of C, the Europe regional average of C, and the Metal smelting, refining, & forming sector average of C.
Our portfolio of low-emissions technologies to reduce carbon emissions
Designed to harness the competitive spirit of business to raise ambition and spur action on corporate climate action, CDP scores thousands of companies that disclose climate data through its platform each year at the request of their corporate customers and investors.
The positive score reflects CDP’s assessment of ArcelorMittal’s ambition to significantly reduce its carbon footprint by 2050, our disclosure of climate related financial risks and opportunities, and our work on a broad portfolio of low-emissions technologies designed to reduce carbon emissions, including:
- Carbalyst – captures waste gases from the blast furnace and biologically converts it into bio-ethanol. The €120m launch project at ArcelorMittal Ghent is expected to be completed in 2020.
- IGAR – captures waste CO2 from the blast furnace and converts it into a synthetic gas that can be reinjected into the blast furnace in place of fossil fuels to reduce iron ore. An industrial pilot of this technology is being developed at ArcelorMittal Dunkirk in France.
- Torero – €40m investment to convert waste wood into bio-coal to displace the fossil fuel coal currently injected into the blast furnace. Our first large scale demonstration plant in ArcelorMittal Ghent is expected to be in operation by the end of 2020.
- Reducing iron ore with hydrogen – €65m investment at Hamburg site to increase the use of hydrogen for the direct reduction of iron ore.
- Carbon capture and storage – integrating breakthrough technologies to bring down the costs of capturing, purifying, and liquifying CO2 from waste gases. Construction of a carbon capture and storage pilot project, 3D, will begin at ArcelorMittal Dunkirk in 2020 and will be able to capture 0.5 metric tons of CO2 an hour from steelmaking gases by 2021.
- Steligence® solutions to aid the design and delivery of low carbon buildings.
- S-in motion® range of solutions to reduce the weight of (electric) cars and trucks without compromising on strength and our iCARe® specialist steels for electric motors.
"On the road to reaching our net zero target"
Alan Knight, Corporate Responsibility General Manager at ArcelorMittal, says: “To receive an A- from CDP is a strong validation of the work we have underway to address the risks of climate change and decarbonising the steel industry. With the investments we’re making in new technologies and ground-breaking innovations, we are on the road to reaching our net zero target by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement.”
The full list of companies that were assessed, as well as other publicly available climate change scores, are available on CDP’s website at: CDP scores
Text: ArcelorMittal Corporate Communications
Image: ArcelorMittal
Related link(s)
Steel and Skyscrapers: A Productive History and a Sustainable Future
The relationship between steel and skyscrapers has been ongoing for over one hundred years, and this affiliation is growing ever stronger. In the 1930s, steel facilitated the boom of high-rise construction, while high strength steel ushered in its resurgence in the 1970s. Thanks to its affordability and durability, steel has always been the material of choice for the design and construction of tall buildings’ principal structural systems.
The current times bring with them a growing concern for sustainable development, including contradictory notions on the affordability, safety, and environmental impact of steel. This has resulted in some misperceptions about the role of steel in high-rise construction. In response to this, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) and ArcelorMittal partnered together on a research paper entitled ‘Steel and Skyscrapers: A Productive History and a Sustainable Future’ in order to illustrate the recent developments in the partnership between steel and skyscrapers that make it a strong, sustainable choice for high-rise construction.
Overview
This research paper delves into the sustainability of steel while examining its impact on the life cycle analysis of a building with an overall aim to broaden innovation in design via an analysis of new ideas for the creation of sustainable, cost-effective, and optimised buildings for the future.
This paper provides a summary of the latest innovations in specifications with a special focus on high strength steel that can result in a reduced amount of steel being required for a building’s construction. The paper presents design methods that can streamline fabrication and erection for a reduction of energy usage during construction in addition to evaluation ideologies, such as standardising floor area, that increase operational efficiency and reduce negative environmental impact.
Findings
“Sustainable development is not a fixed state of harmony, but rather a process of change in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development, and institutional change are made consistent with future as well as present needs” (WCED 1987). As our global knowledge and understanding deepens, it is clear that we all must band together to discern innovative and sustainable methods that will allow for greater economic and social development with the minimisation of environmental damage taking its vital place at the core of these methodologies.
In the same way that tall buildings revolutionised the urban environment, steel has been, and will continue to be, revolutionary and transformational in terms of the correlation between tall buildings and sustainable development. It is the responsibility of those involved in the design and construction process to incorporate the advice of the experts, innovations, and highly sustainable building products in such a way that we will reduce our carbon footprint for future generations.
Text: Constructalia
Research paper: Shelley Finnigan (Global Technical Sales Engineer, Head of Technical Sales & Marketing, Americas, ArcelorMittal), Dario Trabucco (CTBUH Research Manager, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat), Jean-Claude Gerardy (Head of Export, Sections and Merchant Bars, ArcelorMittal), Nicoleta Popa (Head of Global R&D Construction Applications, Infrastructures and Long Products, ArcelorMittal)
Related link(s)
ArcelorMittal Office Building: general view
Kompleks biurowy Varso Place: widok z lotu ptaka
Steel and Skyscrapers: A Productive History and a Sustainable Future
The steel demand outlook is robust, and increasingly, supply will come from recycled scrap.