Product sustainability

ArcelorMittal has announced that it has achieved ResponsibleSteel™ site certification in Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg. The company’s steelmaking sites at ArcelorMittal Belgium (Geel, Genk, Gent, and Liège), Luxembourg (Belval, Differdange, and Rodange), and Germany (Bremen and Eisenhüttenstadt) are the first steel plants globally to be independently audited and found to meet the standards required for ResponsibleSteel, the industry’s first global multi-stakeholder standard and certification initiative.

Rigorously defined standards

The ResponsibleSteel audit process enables each site to prove that its production processes meet rigorously defined standards across a broad range of social, environmental, and governance criteria including:     

• climate change and greenhouse gas emissions
• water stewardship and biodiversity
• human rights and labour rights
• community relations and business integrity

The standard is based on 12 principles with a variety of criteria and underlying requirements. To be awarded with ResponsibleSteel certification, each site has to undergo a detailed third-party audit, with an independent Certification Committee making the final certification decision. ArcelorMittal worked with international auditor AFNOR and its German subsidiary GUTcert, both specialist companies providing certification and assessment services.

Geert Van Poelvoorde, CEO ArcelorMittal Europe said: “Responsible production techniques and high ethical and business standards have become increasingly important to our customers and consumers. ResponsibleSteel certification gives our customers the reassurance that we meet expectations on setting carbon reduction targets, as well as meeting expectations on environmental and social standards at every stage of production. The certification process has involved many teams across ArcelorMittal, and I would like to congratulate them for their hard work in being the first sites to achieve ResponsibleSteel™ certification – this is a major achievement.”

He added: “Given the considerable investments we have already made to achieve a 30% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030, and carbon neutrality by 2050, as well as our broader environmental investments across our sites, I’m confident that we will achieve our goal of securing certification in each of our Flat Products sites early in 2022.”

ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products is also targeting ResponsibleSteel certification at more of its sites during 2022.

Responsibly sourced and produced steel

Speaking at an event at ArcelorMittal Gent to mark the first certifications at ArcelorMittal sites, Anne-Claire Howard, ResponsibleSteel CEO said: “I am delighted that the first steel sites which have been assessed against the very stringent set of criteria required in the ResponsibleSteel Standard have been approved.  The ResponsibleSteel Standard was created by the steel sector’s only truly global multi-stakeholder initiative – designed to ensure business and consumers can be confident that the steel they use has been sourced and produced responsibly at every stage.”

She added: “I would like to congratulate the teams at ArcelorMittal who have supported the development and now the implementation of the ResponsibleSteel Standard at these first sites in Europe. This is truly a ground-breaking moment for both ResponsibleSteel and the steel sector. I am excited to work with the growing number of ResponsibleSteel members and am confident that the pipeline of steel sites who are working to achieve certification will continue to grow over the coming months.  This will send a clear and strong message to markets, finance and governments that the steel industry’s intent to not only decarbonise steel production but also to ensure responsible ESG practices in steelmaking has very much begun.”

Next steps

After the initial phase in Europe, further ArcelorMittal sites around the world will be part of the programme.

In 2021, ResponsibleSteel will launch a standard for the certification of steel products, which will include stringent requirements for raw materials supply chain. ArcelorMittal will continue to play an active role in developing this aspect of the programme.

Text:
ArcelorMittal Europe Communications
Constructalia

Images:
ArcelorMittal
ResponsibleSteel™

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on 13 July 2021 between ArcelorMittal and the Spanish government demonstrates mutual intent to work together towards a decarbonised Spanish economy – a necessity for industries such as steel to successfully transition to carbon neutrality. As a result, new manufacturing processes at ArcelorMittal’s Spanish operations will include a new direct reduced iron (DRI) unit and electric arc furnace (EAF) installation in Gijón that will reduce carbon emissions at ArcelorMittal’s Spanish operations by approximately 50%. The DRI installation in Gijón will also enable ArcelorMittal Sestao to become the world’s first full-scale zero carbon emissions* steel plant.

ArcelorMittal signs MoU with the Spanish Government supporting €1 billion investment in decarbonisation technologies

The MoU signed with the Spanish Government will see a €1 billion investment in decarbonisation technologies at ArcelorMittal Asturias’ plant in Gijón. The investments will reduce CO2 emissions at ArcelorMittal’s Spanish operations by up to 4.8 million tonnes, which represents approximately 50% of emissions, within the next five years**.

At the heart of the plan is a 2.3 million-tonne green hydrogen DRI unit, complemented by a 1.1 million-tonne hybrid EAF. This starts the transition of the Gijón plant away from the blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace steelmaking production route to the DRI-EAF production route, which carries a significantly lower carbon footprint. The new DRI - which will be the first of its kind in Spain - and EAF will be in production before the end of 2025, with construction anticipated to begin in 2022.

Expressing support for the plan, Spain’s Minister of Industry María Reyes Maroto stated that “the Government of Spain and the ArcelorMittal Group fully agree that the transition towards a decarbonised economy is an essential objective for Spain, and they both recognise the industrial, technological, and regulatory challenges that this transition poses for Spanish industry, as well as the opportunities it offers in terms of innovation and improved competitiveness.”

ArcelorMittal Sestao to become the world's first full-scale zero carbon emissions steel plant

Harnessing green hydrogen and renewable electricity, ArcelorMittal’s Sestao plant will become the world’s first full-scale zero carbon emissions* steel plant by 2025. This development is the result of the MoU that will see the construction of the green hydrogen DRI plant in Gijón. The Gijón DRI will feed the company’s Sestao plant, situated approximately 250km from Gijón, where production is already entirely from the EAF route.

By 2025, the Sestao plant – which manufactures a range of flat steel products for the construction sectors (among others) - will produce 1.6 million tonnes of zero carbon emissions steel by:

• Changing the metallic input by increasing the proportion of circular, recycled scrap, and using green hydrogen-produced DRI from Gijón in its two existing EAFs.
• Powering all steelmaking assets (EAFs, rolling mill, finishing lines) with renewable electricity.
• Introducing several key emerging technologies that will replace the small, remaining use of fossil fuel in the steelmaking process with carbon-neutral energy inputs, such as sustainable biomass or green hydrogen.

Speaking at the signing of the MoU in Gijón, Aditya Mittal, CEO ArcelorMittal, said that “it is widely understood that for the world to achieve net zero by 2050, faster progress over the next decade is essential. The MoU we have signed today will play an important role in doing exactly that.  The construction of the new green hydrogen DRI plant in Gijón will not only enable us to reduce emissions from our Spanish operations by half but will also result in the world’s first full-scale zero carbon emissions steel plant in Sestao.”

Looking further ahead, ArcelorMittal has also committed to achieving net zero*** at the Sestao plant as soon as possible.

Text:
ArcelorMittal Europe Communications
Constructalia

Images and video:
ArcelorMittal

*On a Scope 1 and 2 basis.
**Should green hydrogen not be available at affordable rates by the end of 2025, natural gas would be used to power the DRI furnace. This would still result in a very significant reduction in CO2 emissions of 4 million tonnes - approximately 45%.
***Net zero meaning across Scopes 1, 2, and 3.

Using an 80 mm high trapezoidal steel profile alongside a lower volume of poured concrete, Cofraplus® 80 outperforms a traditional precast slab in a greener and more environmentally conscious package.

A new flooring solution for construction companies that want to build differently

With an estimated 25% reduction in overall slab weight, the Cofraplus® 80 flooring system has a positive impact on surrounding load bearing beams, columns, and even foundations, leading to more cost effective, lower mass, and ultimately more sustainable construction. Cofraplus® 80 reduces CO2 emissions by 15% compared to a traditional precast slab.

The cost savings and environmental benefits extend into efficient transportation, storage, and installation. For a 1400 m² floor, Cofraplus® 80 requires only one truck delivery to site and 12 crane movements to unload (as the lightweight profiles can be efficiently stacked) compared with 8 deliveries and 96 crane movements for a prefabricated slab.

Similarly, during installation, a single Cofraplus® 80 profile weighs only 52 kg whereas the equivalent precast slab weighs 1875 kg. A single team can manually install up to 600 m2 safely in just one day while a crane is needed to install the same surface of precast slab.

Thus, logistics is one of the key areas where Cofraplus® 80 really scores over the prefabricated concrete alternative.

Flexibility and long spans

Cofraplus® 80 is flexible enough to be adapted to specific project requirements and detailed design drivers. It can be used alongside all structural materials – including steel or timber beams and concrete - and with any kind of modern build method.

ArcelorMittal Construction has developed a new range of dedicated system accessories that provides a complete solution for installing the slab and pouring the concrete.

Suspended elements such as tubes, ducts, and suspended ceiling fixtures can be anchored using a specific accessory so there is no need for drilling of the concrete during installation or refurbishment. This saves time and cost on floor adaptations and reduces noise levels for those living or working nearby.

In standard mode, the system is compatible with through-deck welding connectors, or it can be supplied in a pre-punched version to suit shear connectors welded to the beam.

The Cofraplus® 80 system can span up to 4.5 m without props and more than 6.5 m with props. The geometry of the prefabricated steel means that it can serve both as shuttering during the pouring phase and reinforcement during the service phase. Its specific geometry means that composite action with the concrete is optimal.

Text:
ArcelorMittal Construction
Constructalia

Images:
ArcelorMittal Construction

Join Steligence® for this free English-language webinar on Wednesday 7 July 2021 at 13.00 CEST.

Topic: HyPer grades - galvanised high strength steels for structural engineering

Scope: Europe

Presenter: Jérôme Guth, Metallic coated steels segment Leader at ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products

Cold formed steel profiles are important components for buildings’ structural applications. They are commonly used to design primary or secondary structures to support floors, roofs, and facade elements in the form of purlins, rails, and decking. They distribute the various loads from the building envelope to the main frame and the foundations.

They are also used in other structural applications such as silos and tanks, conventional or high-bay racks, and solar mounting systems.

During this webinar, the range of metallic coated high strength steels for these applications - available in two standard families: construction grades and high strength low alloy (HSLA) grades - will be presented and their specific properties explained.

Particular attention will be paid to how the range of HyPer grade steels for construction is fulfilling the material requirements of the Eurocode 3 design and material rules to enable building owners to construct safe and cost-effective buildings. Indeed, even at a slightly higher costs, these grades allow a more effective structure to be designed in addition to saving weight and cutting the overall cost of your projects.

Last but not least, reducing weight and material quantities with high strength steel is a strong and immediate lever to reduce the environmental footprint of steel solutions.

Click here to reserve your free spot.

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ArcelorMittal Belgium officially inaugurated its blast furnace B in Ghent in March 2021 following a significant investment to renew the furnace. The result is one of the world’s most modern and efficient blast furnaces both in terms of productivity and CO2 emissions.

Steelmaking at the heart of the circular economy

The new blast furnace, which was given an optimal shape, was completely relined and is equipped with state-of-the-art automation systems. This investment will further enable steelmaking to be at the heart of the circular economy and help the company lower CO2 emissions and achieve its climate objectives through more efficient fuel consumption, the recycling of wood waste, and the injection of waste gases as well as end-of-life plastics.

State-of-the-art technology

As part of the project, the design of the renewed blast furnace was optimised to make the blast furnace process more efficient with expert teams from ArcelorMittal’s R&D centres in Spain and France working closely with ArcelorMittal Gent. Thanks to the relining, blast furnace B is now one of the most advanced blast furnaces worldwide with unrivalled productivity. The site’s Industrial IT, Automation, and Model department led the automation aspect of the project, switching to a new PLC platform with a modern user interface and extensive diagnostic facilities (on the basis of the measurement of temperature, pressure, etc.). Safety aspects were also thoroughly revised and enhanced. In addition, a new network infrastructure was put in place, the processing computer software was adapted, and the models were optimised for controlling the new blast furnace. Around 5000 tons of steel and 3000 tons of refractory material were used for the blast furnace relining and 265 kilometres of electric cables were drawn.

A circular vision of the future

The relining of the blast furnace will play a significant role in reducing the site’s CO2 emissions and achieving its climate objectives through, for example, more efficient fuel consumption. In addition, ArcelorMittal Belgium is committed to contributing to the EU’s ambitious climate objectives in the framework of The Green Deal. The Ghent relining project will contribute to ArcelorMittal Europe’s commitment to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030 compared with 2018. As a group, ArcelorMittal has an ambition to be climate neutral by 2050. These actions are also fully in line with the ArcelorMittal Group’s climate strategy as described in the Climate Action Report.

In the blast furnaces, ArcelorMittal Gent plans to replace fossil carbon with green and circular carbon and green and circular hydrogen. ‘Fresh’ raw materials will increasingly be replaced with waste products in an environmentally and economically feasible way. The Torero project, which will be commissioned in 2022, will allow for the pre-treating of waste wood from container parks to produce biocarbon suitable for the blast furnace process. There are also two projects running with plastic waste that could be injected into the blast furnaces in the form of powder or gas. The possibility of replacing fossil carbon with hydrogen is also being explored.

Text:
ArcelorMittal in Belgium
Constructalia

Images:
ArcelorMittal in Belgium