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High utilisation of recycled materials is one of the key factors in lowering CO 2 emissions . the outside world ,” explains Max . “ We believe this is essential to fully decarbonise and transform the industry . Our long-term climate target is to reduce our direct and indirect CO 2 emissions and those of our supply chain ( Scopes 1 , 2 and 3 ) by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050 .”
Milestones to achieving emission reduction Very high utilisation of recycled materials is one of the key factors in lowering CO 2 emissions . Outokumpu achieved 94 % recycled content in its stainless steel in 2022 ; an excellent result highlighting the company ’ s focus on the circular economy . It currently recycles over two million tonnes of stainless steel per year .
Outokumpu is unique in that it is the only major stainless steel producer with its own chromium mine and ferrochrome production , both of which are equipped with the latest technology . “ Our ferrochrome raw material has a very low carbon footprint 42 % lower than industry average of the industry average ,” continues Max . “ Furthermore , we aim to achieve carbon neutrality at our Kemi chrome mine by 2025 , which would be truly unique in the world . Having this key raw material available is a huge benefit for our sustainability goals .”
Product specific carbon footprint Outokumpu is the first stainless steel producer to provide a product-specific carbon footprint on its stainless steel products based on continuous production data . This helps customers achieve emission-reduction goals and supports Outokumpu ’ s long-term climate targets and sustainability strategy . “ There has been great resonance in the market to this ,” explains Max . “ Customers are paying more attention to cutting down emissions , asking for specific information about the carbon footprint of each product . We ’ re happy to be the first stainless steel producer to provide the information for products produced in our European mills . Customers can utilise the data to calculate the carbon footprints of their products and provide more sustainable solutions to the market . The CO 2 value is averaged over 12 months , but is updated every month . For example , if we improve our energy efficiency , customers will immediately see that reflected in the product specific carbon footprint .” Max explains further : “ We enable our customers to move from CO 2 reporting to active CO 2 management . You can manage your Scope 3 emissions and your company ’ s carbon footprint by using our products which offer full transparency . We ’ re playing a leading role in driving ahead change by delivering clear facts to the market .”
Transparency from suppliers Outokumpu includes Scope 1 , 2 and 3 emissions in its product specific carbon footprint calculations . Scope 3 covers the raw materials and is challenging to assess in a global market where not every supplier can provide carbon footprint data . “ We have a team in our raw material procurement department dedicated to assessing the sustainability of our raw material suppliers . They visit for example the mines of our suppliers to determine the business procedures and also assess the ESG ( Environmental Social Governance ) goals .” This is yet another way Outokumpu is pushing the industry forward , encouraging all parties in the supply chain to operate transparently and meet sustainability targets . “ As green steel becomes more important and gains market share , we are obliged to deliver it for the future of our planet . Customers are starting to make sustainability a procurement criterion ,” continues Max . “ We therefore communicate a clear message to our suppliers : you
www . stainless-steel-world . net Stainless Steel World March 2023 9