British Constructional Steelwork Association

The UK structural steelwork sector has launched its plan for the total decarbonisation of the steel and steelwork industries by 2050 in an event with Industry Minister, Lee Rowley MP.

The UK steel sector is worth approximately £1.6 billion per year and employs around 60,000 people in the UK. The carbon intensity of UK steel production has already been reduced by around 60 per cent since 1960 [1]. Steelmaking, however, remains carbon intensive and accounts for around 8 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions.

The British Constructional Steelwork Association’s (BCSA) decarbonisation roadmap includes a range of decarbonisation strategies including ‘levers’ for the sector. The success of the recommendations depends on factors including local infrastructures, available finance, national and international policy, incentives and commercial readiness.

The 2050 roadmap includes six ‘levers’ delivering carbon efficiencies from -28% to 8%.

• 1.Design efficiency: reducing demand by delivering smarter design, using less steel and extending lifespan, -17.5%
• 2.The circular economy: maximise the recyclable quality of steel, -15%
• 3.Direct steelmaking emission reductions: streamlining existing processes and retrofitting to reduce carbon output, -28%
• 4.Decarbonisation of the electricity grid: some emerging steel technologies, such as electric arc, rely heavily on electricity use, -6.5%
• 5.Carbon capture and use/storage: emitted carbon dioxide is captured and compressed and either stored or repurposed, -25%
• 6.Steel transport, fabrication and erection: reducing carbon emissions in the constructional part of the steel working process, using methods based on renewable energy and efficiency, -8%

Dr David Moore, CEO of the British Constructional Steelwork Association, said, “The UK steel and steelwork industries share the urgent responsibility of decarbonisation. “The science of climate change is no longer in doubt and the need for immediate action, universally accepted.

“The BCSA roadmap sets out a series of measures which will deliver net-zero structural steelwork by 2050 but it the sector can’t do it unilaterally – government intervention is needed to ensure that the UK steel industry is globally competitive, and able to attract the investment it needs to implement change.”

Minister State for Industry, Lee Rowley MP, said: “Congratulations to the BCSA for their important work on this agenda. Cutting emissions whilst remaining competitive and productive is so important and I applaud the work they are doing, in conjunction with the sector, to plot the way forward for steel.”

References

• 1.Energy use in the steel industry, Worldwide Association, April 2021

ENDS

NEWS RELEASE: ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE BRITISH CONSTRUCTIONAL STEELWORK ASSOCIATION

Contact: Josh Mason on 01325 363436

NOTES FOR EDITORS

BCSA Limited is the national organisation for the steel construction industry. BCSA has represented the UK Structural Steel sector for over a century. It is a focal point at local, national and international level for the steel construction industry, acting as its representative body and central management services organisation.

The Association's aim is to influence the trading environment in which member companies have to operate in order to improve their profitability. BCSA group companies undertake the design, fabrication and erection of steelwork for all forms of construction in building and civil engineering.