National Steel Day: The Challenges of Sustainability in the Steel Industry

Written by Dmitry Goes

Published on 11/04/2024 at 08:07

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Steel Is Present in Various Areas of Operation and Is One of the Main Metals in the Market

National Steel Day, created by former President Getúlio Vargas on April 9, 1941, honors this metallic alloy fundamental to the development of societies and industries in various segments. Being a base product for the global economy with applications in construction, mining, agriculture, and transportation, steel is used in metal buildings, equipment for extracting and transporting minerals, agricultural machinery, and other sectors. Special steels, for example, those with high mechanical resistance, have already gained space in the market for their numerous benefits in applications, such as reducing the weight of equipment and, consequently, increasing productivity and load capacity, as well as generating savings in fuel consumption.

So important in various production chains, steel mills face the main challenge of minimizing environmental impacts in the segments in which they operate. Concerned with cleaner production in their manufacturing processes, the steel industry has engaged in contributing to sustainable development, using solutions and technological advances to reduce environmental impacts and promote the rational use of natural resources. Today, the steel manufacturing process occurs through the circular economy, which aims to reduce, reuse, and recycle materials and products, decreasing the amount of energy and raw materials used. According to data from the latest Sustainability Report, released by the Brazilian Institute of Steel, 57% of the energy consumption of steel mills was supplied by self-generation in 2017.

Among the main characteristics of steel, one that stands out is being 100% recyclable, meaning it is a sustainable product – it is possible to utilize all raw materials, which can be used in the manufacturing of new steel products without any loss of quality. In 2017 alone, 8.9 million tons of steel scrap were recycled.

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Despite the sustainable advances achieved by the steel industry, the steel sector is still responsible for a considerable share of carbon dioxide emissions and the dependence on fossil fuels as raw materials, especially coal. It is estimated that approximately 7% of all carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is produced by steel mills worldwide.

However, the solution to this issue is already close to being found. SSAB is already one of the steel companies with the highest efficiency regarding carbon emissions. It is set to revolutionize steel manufacturing based on iron ore, being the first in the world to provide steel that does not use fossil fuels to the market by 2026. By 2030, all SSAB production units will be able to provide steel produced without fossil fuels and, thus, significantly contribute to reducing environmental impacts.

SSAB Fossil-free™ steel is produced with the revolutionary HYBRIT® technology, which uses hydrogen instead of coal in the ore reduction process. This results in water being emitted instead of CO₂.

Together with its customers, SSAB continuously works on upgrading materials and also on developing new applications with innovative designs. The benefits of using high-strength steels include weight reduction and increased service life of products, as well as increased fuel savings. All these benefits significantly contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions into the environment.

The pathways to a clean, pollution-free, and sustainable energy planet are already charted. The future of steelmaking is green.

National Steel Day: The Challenges of Sustainability in the Steel Industry

Steel Is Present in Various Areas of Operation and Is One of the Main Metals in the Market

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Belgium will sink 23 giant concrete caissons, each weighing 22,000 tons, in the North Sea to build the world’s first artificial energy island 45 km off the coast, forming offshore electrical walls.

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National Steel Day: The Challenges of Sustainability in the Steel Industry

Steel Is Present in Various Areas of Operation and Is One of the Main Metals in the Market

Seven world powers including the US, China, and Russia are spending €22 billion on a reactor in the south of France that aims to confine plasma at 150 million degrees Celsius, ten times the temperature of the Sun’s core, using a magnetic field capable of lifting an entire aircraft carrier.

Elon Musk’s internet comes to mobile: Starlink technology connects smartphones without an antenna via satellite, works even without carrier signal, already costs just US$10 extra in the US, and could arrive in Brazil as an included benefit.

A Chinese factory in Guangdong is assembling a humanoid robot every 30 minutes while Tesla, Figure, and Boston Dynamics still struggle to deliver 10 thousand per year.

While Brazil has been discussing bullet trains for 16 years, China delivers 5 new high-speed lines in 2026, surpasses 50,000 km of HSR, and moves 1 billion passengers in a single year.

With a wingspan of 152 meters, 76 tires, and a capacity to carry 1,270 tons, the Boeing Pelican was the giant “flying ship” that promised to cross oceans close to the water on an invisible air cushion beneath its wings.

While countries spend billions to draw water from the sea, a Nobel-winning scientist creates a container-sized machine that extracts up to 1,000 liters per day from dry air and uses ultrasound to release water in minutes, even in the middle of the desert.

Belgium will sink 23 giant concrete caissons, each weighing 22,000 tons, in the North Sea to build the world’s first artificial energy island 45 km off the coast, forming offshore electrical walls.

BYD produces up to 4,400 cars per day and one vehicle every 20 seconds at its largest factory in Xi’an, surpasses Tesla in industrial pace, leaves Volkswagen far behind in pure electric vehicles, and consolidates China as the birthplace of the world’s largest electric car manufacturer.

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With 50 tons of plastic waste, a 30-meter bridge was assembled over a river in Scotland. It seems like an ordinary construction, but it doesn’t use traditional wood or steel and can even be disassembled.

Without concrete, without traditional cleaning, and without common separation, a block made of recycled plastic transforms problematic waste into a rigid piece for walls and structures.

With 1,500 plastic bottles and bamboo, a simple, triangular house transforms into an emergency shelter, born from urban waste, can be assembled collectively, and can be an option in remote areas and humanitarian crises.

Few know, but India has a 36 km wall that surrounds a fort in the mountains and is considered the second largest in the world, behind the Great Wall of China.

Hyundai Creta 2029 appears in new spy shots with a completely revamped design, a more modern digital interior, a larger multimedia center, a more comfortable passenger seat, and electrification finally on the radar.

Former CIA analyst warns that China has already surpassed the US in missiles, electronic warfare, cyber, and military production, transforming the Pacific into a zone without safe spaces while Washington clings to its submarine advantage.

Home-built airplane by a Minas Gerais engineer uses car parts, such as a power window motor for the flaps and a tachometer on the dashboard. The project took six years, and the aircraft has autonomy to fly up to seven hours non-stop.