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ArcelorMittal is committed to leading the way in which the world views steel as well as championing steel’s role in creating high quality, sustainable lifestyles for people all over the world.
We invite you to discover how sustainable steel construction can be due to the nature of our products, their certificates, and continuous innovation.
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Steel is the power behind renewable energy
Headlines throughout the world reveal that a global energy transition is underway. Oil and gas and electricity companies are announcing massive investments and strategic moves that embrace renewable energy.
ArticleArcelorMittal Tubular Products obtains EPD for Hollow structural sections
27 August 2020As a part of our green commitment, ArcelorMittal Tubular Products Europe has obtained an Environmental Product Declaration for our Hollow structural sections, certified by the Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V.
Product News1500 solar panels for Industeel supported by Magnelis®
25 August 2020Despite the challenges of COVID-19 on our daily and professional lives, some projects have continued and have even been successfully completed these past months. Since March 2020, Industeel's site in Charleroi, Belgium has been equipped with 1512 photovoltaic panels on its roof. The green electricity generated will allow Industeel to produce cost-efficient steel while reducing its CO2 footprint. The panels have been fixed on a steel structure coated with Magnelis®.
Project NewsEPDs for full range of ArcelorMittal Europe - Flat Products
11 August 2020With our two newest Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for Hot rolled and Cold rolled steels, ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products is now the only flat products steel producer in the EU with a full set of EPDs for products and solutions, signalling our commitment to sustainable building.
Product NewsNew Environmental Product Declarations!
28 July 2020ArcelorMittal Europe is pleased to announce two new Environmental Production Declarations for Hot rolled steel coils, including Indaten® weathering steels and Amstrong® high strength steels, and Cold rolled steel coils, including Indaten® weathering steels.
Product NewsHarvesting energy from wind
21 July 2020Challenges as wind turbine producers aim to meet demand for more powerful generatorsIn late 2019, the European Union unveiled its ‘Green Deal’ – a roadmap of actions which will help the bloc to boost the efficient use of resources by moving to a clean and circular economy. Increasing the availability of renewable energy – and wind in particular – is a cornerstone of the Green Deal and will see wind energy account for at least half of Europe’s electricity needs by 2050. Meeting this demand will require Europe to install over twice as much new wind energy each year as it managed in 2019. Achieving that target will require significant efforts from electrical steel producers and manufacturers of wind power generators such as ArcelorMittal customer, Indar Wind Energy.
Industry News
Steel is the power behind renewable energy
Headlines throughout the world reveal that a global energy transition is underway. Oil and gas and electricity companies are announcing massive investments and strategic moves that embrace renewable energy.
Steel: a key material in a less carbon-intensive world
Renewable energy, which includes solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, and others, is at the centre of the transition to a less carbon-intensive society, which also puts steel at the centre of the conversation.
“Steel is required by each of these markets. Without steel, none of the renewable energy sources would be possible. Every renewable energy structure – a wind turbine, a solar panel - requires steel,” says Johannes De Schrijver, CEO of ArcelorMittal Projects.
An expansion of renewable power capacity
According to the International Energy Agency, renewable power capacity is set to expand by 50% between 2019 and 2024. This increase of 1200 GW is equivalent to the current total power capacity of the United States. Solar is expected to account for nearly 60% of the anticipated growth and onshore wind 25%.
Steel will play an important role in all renewables, including and especially solar and wind. Each new MW of solar power requires between 35 to 45 tons of steel, and each new MW of wind power requires 120 to 180 tons of steel.
The solar market
The solar market is divided into two areas. The first are smaller-scale rooftop panels mounted on homes, museums, and stadiums. The second is utility-scale projects, which are larger consumers of steel. These plants produce a standard 100 to 300 MW of energy while some in development are approaching 1000 MW.
Johannes De Schrijver notes: “These are basically small power plants, football fields full of solar panels. If you consider that each new MW requires 35 to 45 tons of steel, that’s a tremendous opportunity for us. This is an area that has our attention.”
Solar technologies
Solar power plants use three technologies, all of which use steel in the structure on which the PV modules or mirrors are attached:
- Solar Photovoltaic (PV) – panels are mounted on a fixed or moving structure that allows the panel to be optimally oriented to the sun throughout the day; the moving structure is gaining ground on the fixed structure with tracker technology accounting for half of all PV structures by 2025.
- Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) - panels with lenses that focus the sun’s ray on a small cell with a much higher energy generation capacity.
- Concentrator Photovoltaics (CPV) - converts sunlight to electricity by PV cells made of semiconductor materials; usually the material is salt, which becomes liquid and generates steam to create electricity.
ArcelorMittal has been a key player in supplying steel to major solar projects around the world including the Beryl Solar Farm in Australia and Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai as well as solar farms in Chile, Egypt, France, Israel, and the United States. The company is also finalising agreements with power-generating companies on solar plants using CSP or CPV technologies. One is the first of its kind that combines both Solar PV and CSP for a revolutionary capacity of 950 MW of energy.
Steel in the wind energy market
Steel is also a major contributor to wind energy, which can be grouped into three key markets:
- Onshore wind farms - relatively small and produce between 2 and 3 MW of power per turbine. A variety of steels is used for the structural tower itself, the house of the turbine, the turbine blades, plus electrical steels for electricity generation
- Offshore wind farms - much larger, with recent turbines producing 5 to 8 MW of energy. Offshore wind consumes more steel than onshore and is an area of interest among investors. Offshore has two advantages: the ability to go much higher with no obstructions and the free flow of wind. Offshore requires a combination of steels to support the huge foundations that are anchored to the sea bed. Steel is also found in the structural tower itself and the blades, which are much thicker and longer.
- New generation wind farms – these wind farms go the distance, literally. These farms will be built even further from shore, requiring a floating structure. Each turbine will produce 7 to 12 MW of energy.
ArcelorMittal: supplying steel to windfarms
ArcelorMittal has been a supplier of steel to some of the world’s largest windfarms, including:
- BorWin3, a 900 MW offshore wind grid connection in the German North Sea.
- East Anglia One, a 714 MW wind farm in the North Sea off the coast of England.
- Greater Changhua, a 2.4 GW wind farm in the Taiwan Strait.
ArcelorMittal Global R&D plays an important role in supporting this market through the development of new steel products and solutions:
- Magnelis®, a breakthrough corrosion resistant steel product, has enjoyed much success in the solar energy market. Magnelis® is the industry’s reference product for ground mounted structures and the product of choice in harsh outdoor and indoor environments.
- A-motion is a new steel solution for solar panels created by ArcelorMittal. A-Motion is a single-row, self-powered, and wireless solar tracker which features a wind-friendly design dimensioned to be safe in any position with no stow position required. With a limited number of components, a global supply chain with possibilities of local content and reduced O&M, the product answers the market’s needs.
“The future of steel in the energy transition is exciting,” says Johannes De Schrijver. “As the world’s largest steel producer with extensive downstream capabilities and fabrication and construction knowledge, we are in an excellent position to provide safe, sustainable steel for the future of energy.”
Text: ArcelorMittal
Images: ArcelorMittal
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ArcelorMittal Tubular Products obtains EPD for Hollow structural sections
As a part of our green commitment, ArcelorMittal Tubular Products Europe has obtained an Environmental Product Declaration for our Hollow structural sections, certified by the Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V.
Driving environmental and social sustainability
As the world’s largest steel producer, one of our top priorities is ‘driving environmental and social sustainability’. In 2019, at the Integrated Annual Review, a full section was dedicated to raising the awareness of the importance of sustainability. For this, ArcelorMittal relies on six leading pillars: health & safety, product innovation, social sustainability, customer reassurance, climate change, and the environment, with large budgets being allocated for individual measures in each of these key aspects.
What is an EPD?
An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a transparent, objective report that communicates what a product is made of and how it impacts the environment across its entire life cycle. These environmental declarations are based on ISO 14025 and EN 15804.
Why is it important?
As a global and leading manufacturer, obtaining an Environmental Product Declaration enables us to measure and control the environmental impact of the manufacturing process through different and diverse parameters such as energy, consumption, waste disposal, and use of recycled materials.
Why is it important to utilise products with an EPD?
As a customer and society in general, demanding the use of products with an EPD label means contributing to the sustainability of the industry/sector. In addition to this, it allows for comparison of the environmental impact of different products. Adding environmental friendliness to buying criteria assures a minimum impact via a responsible purchase.
Text: ArcelorMittal Europe Communications, Constructalia
Image: ArcelorMittal
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Hollow structural sections: EPD - Environmental Product Declaration
1500 solar panels for Industeel supported by Magnelis®
Despite the challenges of COVID-19 on our daily and professional lives, some projects have continued and have even been successfully completed these past months. Since March 2020, Industeel's site in Charleroi, Belgium has been equipped with 1512 photovoltaic panels on its roof. The green electricity generated will allow Industeel to produce cost-efficient steel while reducing its CO2 footprint. The panels have been fixed on a steel structure coated with Magnelis®.
A strong illustration of sustainability
With this project, ArcelorMittal reinforces its commitment to energy efficiency, renewable energy, and CO2 emissions reduction across all facilities. This project represents one more step towards sustainability and a cleaner future while reducing expense and generating positive EBITDA savings.
Throughout the 20 years of the contract life, the supplier PERPETUM will take on the full maintenance and operations of the panels and will guarantee both the performance and the output of the panels. After 20 years, the panels will belong to Industeel Belgium and will continue to produce energy. The electrical power of each panel is 320 Wp (watt-peak). This corresponds, with southern exposure, to an expected annual global electricity production of 500 MWh, which is equivalent to the energy consumption of 120 households.
Protected by Magnelis®
Industeel worked with Green4Power, who invested in the project, and entrusted the supply, assembly, and commissioning to PERPETUM. The structure supporting the 1512 solar panels was entirely built with Magnelis® - a product of ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products - in grade ZM310 and produced in Liège.
Magnelis® is an exceptional metallic coating with a chemical composition including zinc, 3.5% aluminium, and 3% magnesium. This unique composition allows Magnelis® to provide an unprecedented level of surface and cut-edge protection against corrosion even in the most hostile environments.
This project was successfully completed thanks to the excellent teamwork between Industeel and the European Procurement Organisation's energy efficiency projects team, who implement various energy efficiency projects including on-site solar photovoltaic projects on the roofs and land of ArcelorMittal sites.
"The renewable energy generated by these 1500 solar panels supports us in achieving ArcelorMittal's ambition to be CO2 neutral by 2050," concludes Alex Nick, CEO Industeel.
Text: ArcelorMittal Europe Communications
Images: Marc Burton, Energy Management and Optimisation, Industeel Belgium
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Solar panels for Industeel Charleroi roof with Magnelis®
Industeel Charleroi solar panels with Magnelis®
EPDs for full range of ArcelorMittal Europe - Flat Products
With our two newest Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for Hot rolled and Cold rolled steels, ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products is now the only flat products steel producer in the EU with a full set of EPDs for products and solutions, signalling our commitment to sustainable building.
Vital for sustainable building certifications
EPDs are crucial for sustainable building certifications like LEED, BREEAM, DGNB, BNB, or HQE and are now being introduced into national regulations for construction. EPDs explain the optimisation potential over the lifetime of their products to manufacturers who can utilise the information to conserve resources, resulting in a low impact built environment and life cycle cost-effectiveness.
The Institut Bauen und Umwelt - IBU
An EPD details the environmental effects of building products based on a life cycle assessment. It is created by the manufacturer and then reviewed by IBU (the Institut Bauen und Umwelt e. V.) on the basis of ISO 14025 and EN 15804.
ArcelorMittal Europe is a member of IBU and, through IBU, global recognition is ensured by their ECO Platform, an organisation of national EPD programme holders in Europe that promotes the cross-border recognition and application of EPDs.
Text: Constructalia
Images: ArcelorMittal Europe, Institut Bauen und Umwelt e. V.
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Cover image of EDP for heavy steel plates
New Environmental Product Declarations!
ArcelorMittal Europe is pleased to announce two new Environmental Production Declarations for Hot rolled steel coils, including Indaten® weathering steels and Amstrong® high strength steels, and Cold rolled steel coils, including Indaten® weathering steels.
An EPD - Environmental Product Declaration - is an independently verified and registered document that communicates transparent and comparable information about the life-cycle environmental impact of products.
ArcelorMittal Europe is a member of IBU – Institut Bauen und Umwelt e. V. We publish EPDs providing construction product data to demonstrate our commitment to sustainable building deployment all over the world.
Click on the link to discover ArcelorMittal's Environmental Product Declarations.
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Harvesting energy from wind
Challenges as wind turbine producers aim to meet demand for more powerful generators
In late 2019, the European Union unveiled its ‘Green Deal’ – a roadmap of actions which will help the bloc to boost the efficient use of resources by moving to a clean and circular economy. Increasing the availability of renewable energy – and wind in particular – is a cornerstone of the Green Deal and will see wind energy account for at least half of Europe’s electricity needs by 2050. Meeting this demand will require Europe to install over twice as much new wind energy each year as it managed in 2019. Achieving that target will require significant efforts from electrical steel producers and manufacturers of wind power generators such as ArcelorMittal customer, Indar Wind Energy.
Growth from onshore and offshore installations
According to WindEurope, an association which represents companies active in the European wind energy sector: “Climate neutrality and the Green Deal [will] require Europe to install over twice as much new wind energy each year as it managed in 2019. And the growth needs to come from both offshore and onshore wind.”
Electrical steels are the core component in wind turbine generators. “That means electrical steel manufacturers such as ArcelorMittal are subject to the same market demands in terms of growth and competition as the rest of the supply chain,” notes Xabier Irure, global commercial director for Indar. “Electrical steel suppliers need to meet these challenges if they are to help the wind energy industry to stay ahead in the game.”
NGO electrical steels
ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products has been one of the world’s leading suppliers of the non-grain oriented (NGO) electrical steels used in wind generators for decades. With the market demanding more powerful machines and higher efficiency to respond to industry pressure and initiatives such as the Green Deal, the development of new electrical steels and improvements to existing grades are more critical than ever.
“Development of the electrical steels we need requires an R&D team with a high level of technical skill and an organisation which can produce them,” notes Xabier Irure. “These are some of ArcelorMittal’s main strengths. That’s why ArcelorMittal has been on Indar’s supplier panel for many years as one of our main sources of NGO steels.”
High-tech steels required to meet the challenge
ArcelorMittal is also able to supply the heavy plate which is required to meet market demand for taller and more powerful windmills (turbines). “Onshore turbines are typically between 70 and 160 metres and generate from 2 to more than 6 megawatts (MW) of energy,” explains Xabier Irure. “When it comes to offshore, bigger is better. OEMs are already working on projects which can generate more than 12 MW of energy. These towers will be up to 240 metres in height.”
Organisations such as the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) are forecasting growth in new installations over the next four years. For example, GWEC foresee an average growth rate of 2.7 percent annually. “The need for clean energy is set to increase rapidly in the next few years due to the roll-out of electrical vehicles, and the focus on renewable energy, particularly in Europe,” says Xabier Irure. “Wind power stakeholders, such as Indar Wind Energy, expect our need for electrical steels to boom as a result in the medium term. One of our concerns is the lack of local capacity to meet our needs for NGO electrical steels needs in the EU. Fortunately, we know ArcelorMittal is anticipating this issue and is well prepared to extend its own production capacities.”
Rapid development of new technologies needed
One of the key challenges for Indar is the rapid development of new technologies and specifications for wind turbines. “Just five years ago, the design for a wind energy generator would have been used for 8 to 10 years,” explains Xabier Irure. “Today, three to five years is the life expectancy of a design. Within that time, an improved design will be launched. That implies more product validations, shorter time-to-market, and more complexity.”
About Indar Wind Energy
Indar Wind Energy is a business unit of the Indar Group, a company founded in 1940. Indar Wind Energy designs, manufactures, and delivers wind power generators and provides after-sales service. The company is headquartered in Beasain (Spain) and manufactures generators in Beasain, Segorbe (Spain), and Milwaukee (USA). Since 1998, Indar Wind Energy has delivered over 21,000 generators which can generate more than 30 gigawatts (GW) of energy.
More info: www.ingeteam.com/indar
Text: ArcelorMittal Europe Communications
Images: Indar, Shutterstock - Gunnar Pippel, Voyagerix, Rudmer Zwerver
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Sustainability
Potential climate and global changes are presently considered to be one of the biggest and toughest challenges for humanity. Sustainable development is the only adequate action that can prevent the degradation of our planet’s natural environment.
According to the Brundtland Report commissioned by the United Nations, also known as "Our Common Future," the term "sustainable development" is defined as follows: "Those paths of social, economic and political progress that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
Useful information
MoreConstruction is playing a major role in keeping the planet safe as 50% of all globally used resources are dedicated to universal construction. This is why sustainable construction is facing strict requirements to be fulfilled by selecting materials based on environmental performance, promoting energy efficiency, and also reducing water consumption.
Steel is the only truly cradle-to-cradle recycled material and steel construction products are one of the most sustainable building materials in the world as their recycling rate is more than 90%.
Steel components - structural frames, external walls, solar shadings - provide credit points for green building rating systems like USGBC's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) or BREEAM (The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), which is highly crucial for today’s investors.