Tata Steel in the Netherlands says it has signed an agreement with Swedish metals supplier Boliden. This is for the procurement of a special quality of zinc with one of the lowest CO2 footprints of any refined zinc in the world.
With this move, the steelmaker is confirming its intention to tackle CO2 footprint by selecting low-carbon input raw materials.
Boliden’s low-carbon zinc is mined in the company’s mine without the use of fossil energy. “According to Boliden, the supplied zinc accounts for an emission of less than 1 tonne of CO2 per tonne of zinc, compared to the industry average of 3.6 tonnes. This gives it one of the lowest CO2 footprints of any refined zinc in the world,” Tata Steel says in a note seen by Kallanish.
The deal covers a significant part of Tata Steel Nederland’s need for zinc. “Our agreement with Boliden reduces our indirect CO2 emissions and marks a new step in our sustainability journey,” says Tata Steel Nederland chief procurement officer Willem Vermeulen.
Tata Steel Nederland uses virgin zinc alongside recycled zinc in its production, thereby increasing the environmental benefits on top of the use of low-CO2-emissions zinc now provided by Boliden.
Emanuele Norsa Italy
