The race to make sustainable steel

It is known that obtaining steel is one of the industrial activities that generates the greatest pollution in the atmosphere. It represents around 7% of the total, which is double that of the entire aeronautical world together. And most manufacturers are looking for a way to reduce this contamination, because they are risking their future.

In Europe there are several companies that have opted for obtaining sustainable steel (also called green steel) and the first manufacturing plants are already being built.

One of the companies is H2 Green Steel https://www.h2greensteel.com/

which expects to start making its deliveries from the year 2025.

This is a totally new company that did not exist before the pandemic, and that has received a lot of help from the governments of northern Europe, since it is going to start manufacturing there, and if it is successful it will be the first large “green steel” plant in Europe. You can see a photo below.

The “problem” is that the steel needs are so great (and are also increasing) that the new plants are going to have a lower incidence.

Just some data. The world production of steel is 2,000 million tons, and these new plants try to achieve about 5 million tons in the year 2030, which by then will be less than 0.25% of the total needs.

Governments will have to do something quite different to “force” steel manufacturers to turn to new, non-polluting technologies.

Today we have new technologies and new possibilities that allow us to solve our needs in much more sustainable ways. What is needed is the political and social will to force this to happen.

And for the moment that will is conspicuous by its absence. When will the situation change ?