95% of Steel-Related Emissions from Vehicles Can Be Cut Using Green Steel

Most of the greenhouse gas emissions from the lifetime of vehicles comes from the gasoline and diesel they burn.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The auto industry can eliminate more than 95% of greenhouse gas emissions from producing the steel for passenger vehicles by switching to fossil fuel-free steel, according to a new report released today by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT).

“Primary steel, a critical component of today’s auto sector supply chain, is a global driver of greenhouse gas emissions and a danger for the health of local communities, due to the industry’s heavy reliance on coal. Already, steelmakers are piloting fossil fuel-free technologies that can eliminate 95% of the emissions from producing steel in the average vehicle” said Anh Bui, a researcher at the ICCT. “As automakers invest in strategies to meet ambitious climate goals, prioritizing fossil-free steel would slash emissions and create a powerful market signal.”

The report, Technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from automotive steel in the United States and the European Union, compares strategies for automakers to reduce steel-related emissions from vehicles.

Most of the greenhouse gas emissions from the lifetime of vehicles comes from the gasoline and diesel they burn. But vehicle manufacturing causes significant emissions too – and as we make progress in leading countries switch over to electric vehicles running on an increasingly decarbonized grid, those manufacturing emissions grow in importance. To achieve a fully net zero GHG transportation sector by 2050, it will be necessary to drastically reduce the embodied emissions in key materials like steel and batteries.

Procuring primary steel without fossil fuels is the strongest possible pathway to reduce steel-related emissions from vehicles – and this could be done at scale in the U.S. by the end of the decade. Collectively, automakers are among the largest buyers in the steel market in both the U.S. and EU. In 2022, the auto industry consumed 26% of the 82 million metric tons of steel produced in the U.S., and 60% of all domestic primary steel. In the same year, 17% of the 136 million metric tons of steel produced in Europe went to the auto industry, and 24% of all domestic primary steel. Due to the primary steel industry’s heavy reliance on coal, steel is responsible for up to 27% of embodied emissions in a typical internal combustion engine vehicle.

 Courtesy: www.cleantechnica.com

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