Nucor Announces Strategies to Significantly Reduce Emissions

(Credit: Nucor)

Nucor has announced strategies that the steel manufacturer says will reduce the GHG emissions intensity of steel mills to 77% less than today’s global average. The company says that it will reduce the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of its steel mills by 35% by 2030, against a 2015 baseline.

Nucor says that, with GHG emissions currently at just 0.47 tons of CO2 per ton of steel, it is “already among the leading steel companies” in its existing carbon footprint. By 2030, the company’s steel mill GHG emission intensity will be 0.38 tons of CO2 per ton of steel, the company says. Beyond that, Nucor will continue to strive for a goal of net zero emissions.

Steel is an essential material for the green economy, says Nucor president and CEO Leon Topalian. “Nucor is proving that it can be produced in a sustainable way to help the world meet its climate goals,” he adds.

In order to reach its 2030 goal, the company says it will:

• Implement new energy efficiency projects;
• Invest in new recycled steel facilities;
• Pursue carbon capture and storage;
• Explore ways to further reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with its raw materials mix.

Additionally, the company is actively pursuing the development of new renewable energy sources; last year, Nucor was the seventh largest corporate buyer of renewable energy in the United States.

The global steel industry accounts for around 11% of total global CO2 emissions, according to the EIA (via Global Efficiency Intelligence).