Which countries are prepared to green their coal-based steel industry with electricity? - Reviewing climate and energy policy as well as the implementation of renewable electricity
Open accessAbstract
Global steel production is currently dependent on coal and capital-intensive production facilities with long economic lifetimes. While the Paris Agreement means carbon neutrality must be reached globally by 2050–2070, with negative emissions thereafter, coal-based steel production today accounts for around 8% of global energy-related CO 2 emissions. Its production may stabilize or even decline in industrialized countries, but it will increase significantly in the emerging economies. In the past, the focus of CO 2 reduction for steel has been on moderate emissions reductions through energy efficiency measures and on exploring carbon capture and storage . However, as (1) the cost of renewable electricity is declining rapidly, (2) carbon capture and storage has not materialized yet, and (3) and more and more countries set deep emission reduction targets, electricity- and hydrogen-based steelmaking has gathered substantial momentum over the past half-decade. Given the short time frame and the sector's deep carbon lock-in, there is an urgent need to understand the national climate and energy policy as well as the current implementation of low-CO 2 and renewable electricity that would enable a shift from coal-based to electricity-based steelmaking. In this paper, we first identify the countries that are likely to be major steel producers in the future and thus major CO 2 -emitters. Then we map medium- and long-term CO 2 reduction and renewable targets as well as the current share of low-CO 2 and renewable electricity by country. Based on these data, we develop a set of indicators that map the readiness of steel-producing countries for a sustainable transition. Our findings show that although binding long-term CO 2 reduction targets are being implemented, medium-term CO 2 reduction do not yet affect coal based steel production. Overall, the global steel industry seems not be on track yet, though differences between steel producing countries are large. Common shortcomings across countries are a lack of access to renewable electricity and a lack of demanding medium-term CO 2 reduction targets. The paper ends with recommendations on how to enable a low-carbon transition of the global steel industry in line with the Paris Agreement .
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The steel industry is not well-positioned to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
“According to the analysis, the steel industry is not well-positioned to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.”
From Strategies to achieve a carbon neutral society: a review (2022) · cites this paper as Arens et al. 2021
Coal-fired steel manufacturing currently accounts for 8% of global energy CO2 emissions.
“Arens et al. examined worldwide steel production and its transition away from coal-fired power generation, as coal-fired steel manufacturing currently accounts for 8% of global energy CO2 emissions.”
From Strategies to achieve a carbon neutral society: a review (2022) · cites this paper as Arens et al. 2021
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Strategies to achieve a carbon neutral society: a review
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- Authors
- Arens, M., Åhman, M., & Vogl, V.
- Affiliations
- Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (DE)
- Lund University (SE)
- Corresponding author
- Arens, Marlene
- Venue
- Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2021-06
- Volume
- 143
- Pages
- 110938
- ISSN
- 1364-0321 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3144502858
- Cited by
- 104
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2026: 16 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 6
- FWCI
- 7.91
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Publikationsdatenbank der Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Lund University Publications (Lund University) (submittedVersion)
- Fraunhofer-Publica (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Swedish Energy Agency
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Iron and Steelmaking Processes
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Climate Change Policy and Economics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
- Keywords
- steel industry decarbonization, hydrogen-based steelmaking, renewable electricity, climate policy, energy policy, CO2 emission reduction targets, carbon lock-in, low-carbon transition, Paris Agreement, carbon capture and storage, emerging markets
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