EU industry could decarbonize up to 45% of steel by 2035 – study

In 10 years, the European steel industry could decarbonize 45% of its current steel production.

This is evidenced by GMK Center’s calculations in the study “Green Transformation of the EU Steel Industry in 2025-2035 and Prospects for Ukrainian Steel Industry”.

According to these calculations, the EU will produce 27 million tons of low-carbon and 29.6 million tons of green steel in 2035. For comparison, in 2025, the EU will produce 3.4 million tons of green steel and no low-carbon steel at all.

GMK Center analysts took into account only steel that is physically produced with lower CO2 emissions. In our opinion, steel production that reduces carbon emissions by calculation (through special certificates) is not decarbonization.

Currently, the main decarbonization technology in the EU is recognized as steel production in electric arc furnaces using DRI.

Steel mills are planning to replace blast furnaces and oxygen converters with DRI facilities and electric arc furnaces. GMK Center estimates that by 2030, the total capacity of such reconstruction projects could reach 25.8 million tons of DRI/hot briquetted iron.

The new low-carbon projects plan to build hydrogen-based DRI plants and electric arc furnaces with modern energy infrastructure. Ukraine can support the green transition in European metallurgy by supplying raw materials for DRI production.

As GMK Center reported earlier, European countries have allocated €14.6 billion to decarbonize the steel sector.