European and Asian companies using Outokumpu’s low-carbon stainless steel have collectively reduced carbon emissions by more than 50,000 mt, it said Dec. 10.
The Finnish company launched its Outokumpu Circle Green low-carbon stainless steel two years ago. The product has a carbon footprint equivalent to 7% of the global average, according to the company.
“Our efforts on achieving 95% recycling rate in our production, using low-emission electricity and producing our own ferrochrome underline the leadership position in sustainability,” Jorg Müller, head of sales for Stainless Europe at Outokumpu said. “The frontrunner companies have seen the business value of offering Circle Green to their customers through their solutions … We are confident that the growth will continue, and we are currently working on extending our low-emission stainless steel portfolio to be available early next year.”
Outokumpu’s public reference customers for Circle Green are Fiskars, Fissler, Zwilling, Siemens, Alfa Laval, Stahl Krebs, Purem, Boysen, Klockner, thyssenkrupp Materials Processing Europe, Lemvigh-Müller, Sermeta, Tetra Pak, Roba Metals, Schmidt Edelstahl, Meiller Aufzugsturen GmbH, Edilcam, Nordic Steel, Sverdrup Steel, OSTP, Ormazabal, Stala Tube, V-ZUG, Norder Band, Jye Chi, HH Stainless and Mori2A.
Outokumpu anticipates a substantial increase in demand for green steel in the coming years but says the global transition to greener practices must accelerate to mitigate the industry’s climate impact.
This surge in demand is fueled by several key factors: more stringent environmental regulations such as carbon pricing, advancements in green steel production technologies, and an increasing interest in low-emission solutions across various industries driven by ambitious climate goals. Notably, the automotive, heavy industry, energy and consumer goods sectors are particularly significant for stainless steel in this context.
“Challenges still remain in scaling up green steel production, such as the high initial investment costs, the availability of renewable energy sources, and the sufficiency of recycled steel as raw material,” Muller said. “We are eager to further develop the demand for green steel together with our stakeholders.”
Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, European 18-8 stainless steel scrap solids at Eur1,240/mt on Dec. 6 on a CIF Rotterdam basis, stable week on week.
