EuroBLECH allows Tata Steel to demonstrate tangible steps to net zero
Late last month saw the Tata Steel team return to EuroBLECH in Hanover, Germany for the first time in four years. One of the world’s leading trade fairs for the steel sector, it was an excellent opportunity for our team to attend EuroBLECH in person and see customers, partners and colleagues face-to-face. After what has undoubtedly been a challenging time for so many, it was fantastic to see the dynamic, collaborative and innovative steel industry out in force once again.
While EuroBLECH 2022 was a great opportunity to see old faces once again, the steel industry also felt renewed, with businesses like ours showing commitment to reducing their environmental impact by putting in place tangible and deliverable steps toward carbon neutrality.
Taking centre stage for us at EuroBLECH were our Zeremis and Optemis carbon reduction programmes and their respective Carbon Lite product offerings. Zeremis is Tata Steel’s commitment to make its IJmuiden production facility in The Netherlands carbon neutral by 2045, acting immediately, while Optemis represents the same commitment from its Port Talbot operations in the UK.
Zeremis Carbon Lite is our green steel offering applied to products that are manufactured at our IJmuiden facility, while Optemis Carbon Lite refers to green steel from Port Talbot. Carbon Lite draws upon certified credits stored at our carbon banks in The Netherlands and the UK. This allows us to offer our trusted steel products with up to a 100% reduction in the CO2 value of its production.
Zeremis and Optemis Carbon Lite has already been well-received by many of our customers, and at EuroBLECH we were able to announce that Tata Steel Nederland has signed a MOU with Ford in Europe to supply the carmaker with Zeremis green steel in the future.
At EuroBLECH, we also shared news of 65 million euros worth of contracts being signed to allow further technical preparations for hydrogen-based steelmaking. A significant step in helping us achieve carbon neutral operations, these preparations pave the way to making the entire steel production process at our IJmuiden facility more sustainable.
The largest transformation in our 100-year history, the project will see IJmuiden replace blast furnaces with direct reduction plants and electric furnaces (DRI-REF) before 2030. This is all part of our ambition to become carbon neutral by 2045 using renewable power and hydrogen-based steelmaking processes.
Our facility in IJmuiden has also benefitted from investment in its Hot Strip Mill as part of our Strategic Asset Roadmap (STAR) programme. Upgrades to the line mean it will now be able to process the strongest types of strip steel in unique dimensions, which will likely boost the efficiency and versatility of our materials for heavy vehicle manufacturers among others.
Meanwhile, Tata Steel UK announced that it has formally adopted Science Based Targets (SBTi) for its own emissions reduction programme. This gives us a clearly validated method of measuring our UK facilities’ progress to reaching their own net zero aspirations by 2045.
To find our more about our presence at EuroBLECH 2022, click here.
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