Green steel
Steel is indispensable for modern society. Whether in buildings, vehicles or everyday objects - the versatility and stability of this material makes it a key resource. With green steel, also known as "climate steel", we are breaking new ground to produce steel in a more sustainable and climate-friendly way.
Find out here what "green steel" actually means, the technologies behind it and the benefits of sustainable steel for your company?
- Reduced product carbon footprint (PCF)
- Sustainable supply chains
- Wide availability
- Long-term competitiveness
What is green steel?
Green steel refers to steel that is produced using more environmentally friendly processes in order to significantly reduce the emission of CO₂ equivalents (CO₂e). These processes are primarily based on the use of renewable energies and innovative technologies. These include, for example
- Use of renewable energies: The use of electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar energy replaces fossil fuels and enables significantly lower-emission steel production.
- Improved production processes: Optimizations in production lead to a reduction in energy consumption and CO₂e emissions.
- Recycling: Recycling steel scrap minimizes the need for primary raw materials and reduces energy consumption, which also lowers CO₂e emissions.
Although the term "green steel" is not clearly defined and completely CO₂e-neutral steel is not yet available, all approaches share the goal of minimizing CO₂e emissions in the steel industry. The new processes mark important progress towards a more climate-friendly steel industry.
Regulatory requirements
The regulatory requirements for the greenhouse gas footprint of steel products are constantly increasing. For steel consumers and traders, this means that the use of low-emission or green steel is becoming increasingly economically and strategically relevant.
European emissions trading (EU ETS) is making CO₂e-intensive production processes more expensive, as steel manufacturers have to purchase emissions certificates and the free allocation of these certificates will gradually expire by 2034. This will increase the cost of conventionally produced steel, while CO₂e-reduced alternatives will become more competitive in the long term.
In addition, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) obliges importers of steel from third countries to document the CO₂e emissions of their products and pay corresponding levies. This makes the purchase of low-emission materials more attractive not only for sustainability reasons, but also from a financial perspective.
In addition, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) increases the pressure on companies to disclose their carbon footprint in detail - including CO₂e emissions along the supply chain. Retailers and processors are therefore increasingly required to prove that they use low-CO₂e materials. At the same time, the EU taxonomy influences investment and financing decisions by defining sustainability criteria for economic activities.
It is therefore becoming increasingly important for steel consumers and traders to know the exact product carbon footprint (PCF) of the materials they trade. Targeted procurement of CO₂e-reduced steel can not only fulfill regulatory requirements, but also secure long-term competitive advantages and avoid potential additional costs.
What are the advantages of sustainable steel?
The use of green steel has numerous benefits, both for the environment and for companies and consumers:
- Climate protection: the drastic reduction in CO₂ emissions contributes to achieving global climate targets.
- Compliance with new regulatory requirements: With CO₂e-reduced steel products, you meet growing requirements regarding lower CO₂e emissions and increasing expectations for sustainability.
- Competitive advantage: Sustainable products are in increasing demand and offer your company the opportunity to position itself as a pioneer in climate protection.
- Conservation of resources: More efficient production methods and recycling reduce the consumption of natural resources.
- Long-term competitiveness: By adapting to stricter environmental regulations, you can secure your company's long-term market position in the future.
Green steel at Hoberg & Driesch
Hoberg & Driesch consistently focuses on sustainable solutions in steel production. With our range of CO₂-reduced steel pipes, we combine high-quality products with sustainability. As our customer, you benefit not only from high-quality steel products, but also from a positive contribution to climate protection.
We now offer CO₂-reduced steel pipes that are specially tailored to sustainability and reporting requirements. Find out more about the appropriate specifications directly next to the products and discover how we combine sustainability and quality for you.
Thick wall pipes / normal wall pipes
All the details on our green thick-wall and normal-wall pipes.
Seamless precision steel tubes
Further information on our green, seamless cold-drawn precision steel tubes can be found here.
Seamless hydraulic and pneumatic conduits
You can find out more about the CO₂-reduced seamless hydraulic and pneumatic conduits here.