Beltrame invests in French plant decarbonisation

AFV Beltrame Group will start the new reheating furnace at its French merchant bar facility Laminés Marchands in Trith-Saint-Léger on 9 February.

The equipment replaces an outdated furnace, for an investment of €22 million ($23m) in the framework of the steelmakers’ major commitment to reduce its CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to 2015 for all European plants. Beltrame is launching its “Chalibria” carbon-neutral steel, for the upstream Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions in the “cradle-to-gate” value chain, the Italian steelmaker’s head of business development, Carlo Beltrame, tells Kallanish.

Considering the Scope 1 CO2 emissions, the French site is currently the best-performing plant of the group. The new furnace has an increased performance and significantly reduced energy consumption needing 17% less gas compared to the dismantled reheating furnace. This translates into a 6% fall in the plant’s CO2 emissions.

The Chalibria project started two years ago following a three-step decarbonisation approach: measuring CO2 emissions, identifying actions and reducing emissions. This approach led to the definition of a decarbonisation plan that includes a list of new investments to be deployed across the group’s facilities in Italy, France, Switzerland and Romania by 2030.

The calculation of the Scope 1+2+3 carbon footprint of Chalibria is verified by independent certification body RINA, in accordance with ISO14064-1. Chalibria’s carbon neutrality is achieved by offsetting CO2 emissions through the purchase of carbon credits on a voluntary basis, in line with the PAS2060 (specification for the demonstration of carbon neutrality) certification.

Scope 1, 2 and 3 upstream emissions are currently about 70% below the emissions average for the steel industry and 15% below the European average of electric arc furnace players, Beltrame claims. By 2030, the group’s decarbonisation plan targets to reduce 40% of Scope 1 and 2 emissions. The main projects of the decarbonisation plan are related to production efficiency, circular economy and green energy sourcing.

In France, Beltrame operates a mill with a 700,000 tonnes annual capacity and two rerolling lines with a total capacity of 600,000t.

Natalia Capra France