The Steel Eco-Cycle. Evaluation report 2004–2012

In 2012 a report entitled ”Turn down the heat: why a 4°C warmer world must be avoided” was released by the World Bank Group. The possible severity of the global environmental state received massive attention in the media worldwide. The first two sentences in the foreword written by Dr. Jim Yong Kim, President of World Bank Group, state the following:

”It is my hope that this report shocks us into action. Even for those of us already committed to fighting climate change, I hope it causes us to work with much more urgency.”

Already in 2004, the Swedish steel industry, in close collaboration with academia, research institutes and the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research (Mistra) launched the first truly holistic research programme, in one of the world’s most energy-intensive industries, with the aim of increasing the energy and resource efficiency by closing the loop in the steel life cycle. The eight-year long programme, entitled The Steel Eco-Cycle, was completed in 2012 and the potential environmental as well as economic benefits associated with the development and use of advanced steel is now reported.

The programme’s cross-disciplinary approach, along with its strong financial support, has shown how Sweden can be world leading within the field of eco-friendly as well as resource-efficient production and use of steel. The results consist of process optimisations and pilot plant trials along with instrument and model developments. The environmental and economic potential of the programme has also been quantified in order to aid decision-makers in their implementation of new process technology and use of products supporting a sustainable development.