MPs launch inquiry into ‘green steel’

In the latest stage of its Technological Innovation and Climate Change inquiry, the Environmental Audit committee (EAC) has today announced that it is to look at ‘green steel’.

Steel is a crucial material for the UK’s low carbon aspirations: it is an essential component of wind turbines to electric vehicles. However, the steelmaking process itself produces significant greenhouse gas emissions, with the production of a tonne of steel generating almost two tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Technological advances in the development of direct reduced iron technology, which have already been demonstrated in Sweden and Germany, seem to offer a low carbon future for the sector. Industry figures have indicated that decarbonising UK steel production is an enormous challenge and will be difficult to achieve by the 2035 target set by the Climate Change committee in its Sixth Carbon Budget. The industry is also facing imminent decisions on the investment required to replace blast furnaces at UK steelmaking plants.

The EAC’s chair, Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, said: “Steel is the bedrock for many of our low-carbon aspirations: from electricity generation to our modes of transport. But wind turbines and electric vehicles have a major carbon footprint due to the steel used to manufacture them. As the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy committee has recently pointed out, the decision point for investment to renew the UK’s steel installations is fast approaching, without a clear lead from the government on the technology to adopt.

“We will be exploring the technological innovations available to make the steel sector more environmentally friendly. I encourage all those engaged in transforming this essential industry to consider contributing to this stage of our inquiry.

“Decarbonisation of the sector is a real test of the government’s mettle and the ingenuity and ambition of UK industry. Successful use of technological advances to green the industry will make a substantial contribution to the goal of Net Zero Britain.”