Düsseldorf - CO2 emissions from the production of stainless steel could be reduced by up to 37 million tons per year or 50 percent in the medium-term provided the production process uses greater quantities of high-quality stainless steel scrap instead of primary raw materials. This is the view taken by the Fraunhofer-Institute UMSICHT based in Oberhausen, Germany, in a study on behalf of the German-Dutch raw materials trading company, Oryx Stainless. The paper analyses how much environmentally harmful CO2 can be reduced by using a higher percentage of high-quality secondary raw material blends instead of primary raw materials to produce new stainless steel.

Overall, based on the forecast global production, the year 2015 could see a reduction of CO2 emissions amounting to more than 110 million tons, provided stainless steel production uses 75 percent stainless steel scrap. This is equivalent to the CO2 emissions of more than 10 million people, in other words a megacity or a country such as Belgium.

In addition, industry could achieve billions in savings through their reduced need for pollution rights. Currently, an average of only 50 percent of stainless steel scrap is used in the production of new stainless steel products.

Despite the limited reserves of secondary raw materials worldwide, Roland Mauss, a Board Member of the Oryx Stainless Group, says that in the medium-term this level can be raised to 75 percent through smart recycling methods. “Given the need to use our environmental resources and reserves of primary raw materials both sparingly and efficiently, 75 percent is a sensible target going forward.”

To achieve the 75 percent target, Oryx takes the view that reserves of secondary raw materials should be more intelligently utilised through implementing modern processes such as blending; this is a customised raw material compound comprising a wide variety of steel and stainless steel scrap. Through using such processes, the volume of secondary raw materials used in the production of new stainless steel can be increased two- to three-fold.

The potential for the optimal utilisation of stainless steel scrap reserves is considered to be substantial both around the world and in Germany. Says Oryx Board Member Tobias Kämmer: “In Scandinavia there are already leading stainless steel producers that have progressed to the technical limits, and are using up to 95 percent of secondary raw material blends in the production of new stainless steel. To help us continue to use our natural resources sparingly, the expertise surrounding the possibilities of raw material blends should be exported around the world.”

Quelle: Oryx Stainless Group, Fraunhofer UMSICHT

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