Scrap Boosts Swiss Steel's Low Carbon Footprint
Swiss Steel Holding AG, based in Lucerne, Switzerland, states that conducting a CO2 emissions audit across its global operations will strengthen its sustainability rating. The company emphasises the significant role of utilising scrap metal as a key aspect of its sustainability commitment.
The CO2 emissions audit carried out in 2021 was conducted by DNV Business Assurance Germany GmbH, based in Essen, Germany. The assessment focused on Swiss Steel's melt shops and facilities located in various countries. Swiss Steel's North American assets include the Finkl Steel plant in Chicago and Finkl Steel-Sorel in Canada.
Finkl Steel, as stated on its website, emphasises the importance of using carefully controlled scrap metal as the foundation for producing high-quality steel. This is achieved through the use of electric arc furnaces (EAFs) in both Chicago and Sorel, Quebec, Canada.
Additionally, Finkl employs a premium melting process known as vacuum arc remelting to produce materials of exceptional quality for demanding applications, such as die blocks, bars, and custom forgings utilised in the aerospace sector.
Apart from the Finkl sites in North America, audits were also conducted at various Swiss Steel facilities. These include the Ascometal plants located in Fos-sur-Mer and Hagondange, France; the Deutsche Edelstahlwerke facilities in Hagen, Krefeld, Siegen, and Witten, Germany; the Steeltec mill in Emmenbrücke, Switzerland; and the Ugitech facilities in Ugine and Imphy, France, as well as Milan, Italy.
Frank Koch, CEO of Swiss Steel Group, emphasises the company's deep commitment to sustainable steelmaking and its proactive approach to decarbonisation and green steel. He highlights that the audit statement provided by DNV Business Assurance Germany GmbH will not only enhance the company's sustainability rating but also improve transparency and credibility as a leading provider of green steel. Furthermore, this audit will assist the group in meeting future legal reporting requirements.
Describing itself as Europe's largest electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaker, Swiss Steel Group highlights the significant advantage of EAF producers, with their CO2 emissions being "up to 80 per cent better than producers using the blast furnace route." While this is a favourable starting point for Swiss Steel Group's aspirations of market leadership, the company recognises that it is not sufficient for its global operations.
Swiss Steel Group emphasises its exclusive reliance on scrap as the basis for its operations. By using scrap instead of traditional iron ore and coke, the company significantly reduces its CO2 footprint. They stress that the greater the use of scrap input, the more environmentally friendly the resulting steel, which is a crucial factor in achieving the production of "green steel."
To further promote low-CO2 steel, Swiss Steel Group has launched a campaign called Green Steel. This initiative serves as a systematic and incremental approach to reducing emissions throughout the entire group. It also aims to assist customers and partners of Swiss Steel Group in reducing their Scope 3 emissions and encourages them to take additional actions for climate protection.
A summary of the Swiss Steel DNV Business Assurance Germany GmbH audit can be downloaded from the provided web page.
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Source: Recycling Today
