Once Produced – Forever in Use
Members of the LSFA are on a mission to champion change and spread the word about the safety and sustainability credentials of light Steel. Here we look at how the industry is decarbonising the production process.
The term ‘green steel’ is gathering momentum but what does it mean and how is steel production evolving? In brief, it is two-fold – it refers to innovative carbon-neutral methods of steelmaking using energy from renewable sources and more recently, green steel is used to define steel produced from recycling latent stock from demolished buildings.
Greening the Primary Steelmaking Process
In 2004 a group of steel companies with the support of the European Union, started the ULCOS (Ultra-Low CO2 Steelmaking) project. One of the methods that is showing the most potential, is using renewable hydrogen in the place of fossil fuels. When using an Electric Arc Furnace, hydrogen can be used to produce the same chemical reaction which occurs in traditional steelmaking but with reduced emissions. When burned, hydrogen primarily produces water as a by-product. Therefore, if steel is produced using only renewable electricity, it can be considered sustainable and play a role in circular production.
Long Lasting Asset
Steel is the world’s most recycled material with more than 500 million tonnes reprocessed every year – the equivalent of 180 Eiffel Towers every day. Once produced, steel is a valuable asset that can be reused or recycled infinitely with little or no reprocessing – vastly reducing embodied carbon emissions in steel production. This unique characteristic gives steel a high value at all stages of its lifecycle.
Light Steel Production
Light steel frame is created through a process known as cold forming. This involves passing thin sheets of steel through rollers and presses while at room temperature, to create various shapes such as U, C, Z, or S-sections. Light steel framing contains a minimum of 25% recycled steel, making it a more environmentally friendly option than traditional methods of construction. Now many LSFA manufacturing members have as much as 60% recycled content in the light steel they use, and this is set to increase.
The UK leads the world in steel construction commercially, technically and in terms of quality. As a material it is strong and durable and as a structural framing system it is lightweight and cost efficient. 99% of steelwork and 96% of steel construction products are reused or recycled. These properties make steel a hugely sustainable construction material both in terms of its longevity, material properties and enhanced safety credentials.
Bringing together a wealth of experience and technical know-how, the LSFA’s website has a library of valuable information, including guides on sustainable steel and circular construction. To download go to: www.lsf-association.co.uk
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