Arvedi supplies first certified carbon neutral automotive steel

Italian steelmaker Arvedi has obtained the carbon neutrality certificate for its Cremona plant. This is after drastically reducing scope 1 and scope 2 emissions by investing in a new electric arc furnace supplied by Tenova and cutting the use of pig iron and other polluting raw materials, CEO Mario Caldonazzo revealed at the Made in Steel tradeshow attended by Kallanish.

The first carbon neutral certificate for Arvedi’s coils, the so-called “ARVzero”, will be issued for a large contract supply with Mercedes Benz that will start in 2023. “We have demand [for carbon-neutral steel]. We have probably closed with the most forward-looking company that has decided to invest in this but we are in talks with many other automakers… The drive comes from this sector but also many clients are willing to launch their own green steel product brand because they have demand in their turn,” Caldonazzo said. However, he added, it will take time to reach a proper and common definition of green steel.

In 2022 Arvedi also cut scope 3 emissions by 40% and it intends to pursue carbon neutral certification for its downstream companies, tube mills and also Acciai Speciali Terni.

The company is implementing a research and development project currently underway to produce high-quality steel without using pig iron and optimise energy and raw material consumption. Arvedi can now cut pig iron consumption from approximately 50% to 10% in its metal charge mix. In order to replace pig iron the company is investing in higher quality scrap and particularly scrap selection and cleaning. After reduced scope 1 emissions the steelmaker started a voluntary programme to cover scope 1 emissions with emissions reduction certificates from forestry. To reduce scope 2 emissions it collaborated with Enel which supplied renewable energy with a certificate to guarantee origin (GO). Arvedi submitted its emission reduction project to certification body RINA, which in July 2022 issued the carbon neutral certificate for the plant in Cremona, Caldonazzo explained.

The steelmaker is converting its Ferriera di Servola site in Trieste, north-east Italy, where it used to produce pig iron, into a cold rolling facility that will re-roll coils supplied by its main steelworks in Cremona. As reported previously Arvedi is investing in two strip processing lines at Servola The company has already shut down its hot rolling area in Trieste (see Kallanish 13 October 2021).

Natalia Capra France