ArcelorMittal has launched its first three XCarb initiatives that will bring together all of its reduced, low and zero-carbon products, steelmaking activities and wider green projects in an effort to move towards carbon neutral steel. The three initiatives are XCarb green steel certificates, XCarb recycled and renewably produced’ and the XCarb innovation fund.
Green steel certificates’
ArcelorMittal’s has invested in considerable CO2 savings, which can be passed onto customers. CO2 savings are aggregated, independently assured, and then converted into XCarb green steel certificates using a conversion factor that represents the average CO2 intensity of integrated steelmaking in Europe. The scheme provides customers with the opportunity to buy certificates attached to their physical orders of steel, enabling them to report a reduction in their Scope 3 carbon emissions. The company anticipates it will have 600,000 tonnes of equivalent green steel tonnes available by the end of 2022.
‘XCarb recycled and renewably produced’
This is for products made via the Electric Arc Furnace using scrap steel. The steel is made with recycled material (scrap) using renewable electricity, giving it a low carbon footprint, potentially as low as approximately 300kg of CO2 per tonne of finished steel.
‘XCarb innovation fund’
ArcelorMittal has launched an innovation fund that will invest up to $100 million per year in companies developing pioneering or breakthrough technologies that help make steelmaking carbon neutral . To be eligible for funding technologies need to be commercially scalable and support ArcelorMittal in decarbonising.