XCarb® towards carbon neutral steel
XCarb® recycled and renewably produced
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Updated XCarb® recycled and renewably produced EPDs
18 March 2024Updated Environmental Product Declarations for XCarb® recycled and renewably produced flat products are available now on Constructalia.
Website newsOptimised steel structures for a low carbon future
15 February 2024The construction industry is the world’s largest consumer of raw materials and the built environment accounts for between 25 and 40% of global CO2 emissions. The sector is responsible for nearly 40% of annual raw material use and around 39% of the total primary energy use. These numbers are set to increase.The most promising construction material in terms of low emissions and increasing circularity is steel. Although the steel industry is among the highest-emitting industries (about 7% of global carbon dioxide emissions), the carbon footprint of its manufacturing process has decreased over the last 25 years and today new low-carbon alternatives are cutting emissions faster than before. The circularity of steel, enhanced by the possibility to upcycle, unlike other materials, and its low-carbon alternatives have resulted in its use in innovative projects driven by sustainability.Efficient design of steel structures is key, designing with end-of-life in mind and specifying low-carbon alternatives. With design choices playing an important role, we need to rethink the design approach from a circular, more holistic, and therefore more sustainable perspective. The research paper ‘Why optimised steel structures will help reduce embodied carbon’ provides a brief overview of the steps being taken to decarbonise steelmaking and examines the impact of the construction sector on global emissions. The main objective of this paper is to put forth easy-to-use tools to help designers reduce the embodied carbon of their projects while offering guidance on evaluating sustainable solutions.
Technical article
XCarb® towards carbon neutral steel
XCarb® is the new brand name for ArcelorMittal’s ongoing global programme of steelmaking innovation targeted at carbon-neutral steel by 2050. XCarb® brings together all of ArcelorMittal’s reduced, low, and zero-carbon products and steelmaking activities, as well as wider initiatives and green innovation projects, into a single effort focussed on achieving demonstrable progress towards carbon neutral steel.
ArcelorMittal believes that steel has a critical role to play in helping society decarbonise and will very much be a solution to the problem.
That is why, as the world’s leading steel company, ArcelorMittal has a significant responsibility to innovate, implement, and navigate a successful pathway towards a cleaner steelmaking industry. The journey towards becoming carbon neutral by 2050, having aligned with the Paris climate goals and the European Green Deal by committing to reduce European CO2 emissions by 35% by 2030 and be carbon neutral by 2050, is well underway.
We will continue to drive innovation to meet our decarbonisation goals and are committed to leading the industry transition towards carbon neutral steel. We have the scale, resources, technology prowess and ambition required make a significant impact.
XCarb® branded initiatives
Alongside the new XCarb® brand, ArcelorMittal has launched three XCarb® initiatives: XCarb® recycled and renewably produced for products made via the Electric Arc Furnace route using scrap, XCarb® green steel certificates, and XCarb® innovation fund.
XCarb® recycled and renewably produced
XCarb® recycled and renewably produced steel is made from recycled steel using 100% renewable electricity in an Electric Arc Furnace and is offered for long products, but is also being extended step by step to flat products.
By using a very high content of scrap steel plus renewable energy, XCarb® recycled and renewably produced products have an extremely low CO2 footprint that can be as low as approximately 300kg of CO2 per tonne of finished steel when the metallics are 100% scrap.
The electricity used in the steelmaking process is independently verified, with a ‘Guarantee of Origin’ given that it is from renewable sources.
XCarb® green steel certificate
ArcelorMittal’s industry-first green steel certificates allow customers to report an equivalent reduction in their Scope 3 emissions, in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. XCarb® green steel certificates are specifically designed for ArcelorMittal’s flat steel products made from iron ore in a blast furnace.
ArcelorMittal Europe - Flat Products’ initiatives to reduce carbon emissions from the blast furnaces include flagship Smart Carbon projects, such as Torero and Carbalyst®, and capturing hydrogen-rich waste gases from the steelmaking process and injecting them into the blast furnaces to reduce coal use.
The significant CO2 savings achieved this way can be added up and passed on to customers in the form of a certificate, verified by the independent auditor DNV GL.
Useful information
MoreXCarb® innovation fund
Through its XCarb® innovation fund, ArcelorMittal is investing in companies developing breakthrough technologies that will accelerate the steel industry’s transition to carbon neutral steelmaking.
Technological breakthroughs are imperative in society's decarbonisation journey. It is critically important that we continue to innovate, and the XCarb® innovation fund is an attempt to accelerate this process by supporting the best and brightest ideas.