Opinion: One planet, one mission, one future

One planet, one mission, one future

When it comes to nature and environmental protection, Primetals Technologies has a very clear ambition. So says its CEO, Saturo Iijima. The ambitions he is talking about do not only cover the technology for steel production, but also the promotion of a lifestyle among the workforces that goes with the idea of sustainability.

AUTHOR: Saturo Iijima, CEO, PrimetalsTechnologies W e know that mankind has only one planet and must care for it. Therefore, whenever we design new solutions for our customers, we do so in line with the global needs shared by the world‘s societies. This is especially important because we all share one future, and we therefore must prepare for it together. To me, this preparation doesn‘t just mean anticipating what‘s to come. Rather, it‘s about taking proactive steps. I always encourage my engineers to find new ways of shaping the future—by developing innovative technologies that will form the basis of steel production

in 2030 and beyond. In that sense, Primetals Technologies has only one mission when it comes to environmental matters: it is to pioneer the solutions that will make even greener metals production a reality. Supporting the United Nations’ sustainable development goals .... Our green technologies are the biggest lever we have as a company in terms of facilitating change. We certainly also aim to make our operations greener, and have committed to supporting the United Nations’ sustainable development goals—especially Goal 13 on global climate action. Our locations around the world do their very best to continually address their carbon footprint and to promote a lifestyle

CAD design of a pilot plant for a carbon-free, hydrogen-based direct reduction technology by Primetals

For Primetals, the green future of steelmaking is a matter of pioneering.

among their workforces that is geared toward greater sustainability. But while these efforts do matter, it is through our products that we will make the biggest positive long-term environmental impact.

...in casting and rolling

Imagine a production line for thin-slab casting and rolling that uses only 55 percent of the energy required by a traditional line, and that reduces CO 2 emissions by 39 percent. A line that is not only more energy efficient and environmentally friendly but also more technologically advanced and much more compact. A line that can produce “cold-rolled sub

stitute” strip as thin as 0.6 millimeters. Well, this solution is already here, and it is called Arvedi Endless Strip Production.

... in emissions filtering Imagine sintering, but with 99 percent of all emissions filtered from the off-gas: the fine dust particles, nitrogen compounds, dioxins, sulfur, mercury, lead, and more. This is already a reality, and the name of the solution that makes this possible is MEROS. We expect that the 12 MEROS plants ordered to date will have filtered a total of one million tons of pollutants by 2024.

.... in efficient heating Imagine an electric arc furnace that helps to save energy by preheating 100 percent of the scrap it uses with its own off-gas. Or waste-heat recovery systems that ensure consistently optimal energy use. Cold mills that enable the production of thinner and lighter strip, which is then used by the automotive industry for the manufacture of lighter and more economical cars. Automation systems that power down parts of the steel plant that aren’t in active use, or that comprehensively streamline each and every part of the production process.

All the technologies I have described thus far are already available. They are just a few examples of the larger portfolio of green-production solutions from Primetals Technologies. But I also care deeply about the innovations that are still ahead of us. A few decades from now, hydrogen will likely have become an important energy source in many areas of our lives, including steel production. New technologies will transform the image of the steel industry as one of the world’s major CO 2 emitters. And Primetals Technologies, together with its customers, will continue to pioneer the future of metals production—with green innovations that will help to safeguard our planet for generations to come.“

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