Federacciai calls Italian, European steel institutions to sustain carbon footprint reduction

Italian steelmakers are “greenest in Europe with the highest percentage of steel decarbonized… and by 2030, we aim to become the first steel industry in the world to be completely green,” Antonio Gozzi, Chairman of Federacciai, the Italian steel producers’ association, said at the Made in Steel conference May 10 in Milan.

“Keeping the title of European champions and aspiring to become world champions involve challenges and sacrifices,” Gozzi said.

“We have to deal not only with the direct emissions already minimized by the fact that we produce steel via electric steel furnaces, but also with the indirect ones, progressively improving the carbon footprint of the electricity we consume,” Gozzi added.

Italian government needs to find a way to sustain the production of more clean energy which can suit the country, the Federacciai’s chairman said.

Gozzi said a good solution for the Italian energy-intensive industry could be a good mix of renewable energies, decarbonized gas turbines and new-generation nuclear power purchased abroad, as well as the large use of carbon capture, utilization and storage technology.

Italy produces 80% of steel using electric arc furnace, while in Europe about 60% of steel is produced with blast furnaces and coal — almost 90 million mt a year, Gozzi said.

Author Annalisa Villa