Update #6 | Sustainability news from Cleveland-Cliffs, Worldsteel and U.S. Steel

BuildSteel is tracking the sustainability initiatives led by various members and organizations associated with steel framing. Here are some of the cold-formed steel (CFS) framing industry’s latest initiatives.

Cleveland-Cliffs Signs Wind Farm Agreement

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., the largest flat-rolled steel producer in North America and SFIA member, and EDP Renewables SA, through its fully owned subsidiary EDP Renewables North America LLC, recently executed a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for 180 megawatts (MW) of the 200-MW Headwaters III Wind Farm in Randolph County, Indiana. 

The agreement affords Cleveland-Cliffs the opportunity to advance its environmental and social sustainability goals, and enabling EDPR NA to expand its portfolio in Indiana, where it reinforces and maintains its position as the top producer of wind energy in the state.

“A key priority of Cleveland-Cliffs’ greenhouse gas reduction strategy revolves around the efficient use of energy and clean energy. We are committed to the greening of the grid through renewable energy projects such as the Headwaters III Wind Farm,” said Lourenco Goncalves, Chairman, President and CEO of Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. “This project is another step towards achieving Cleveland-Cliffs’ emission reduction goal of 25% by 2030 and will advance our portfolio of renewable energy initiatives that are additive to the power grid.”

Read the complete Cleveland-Cliffs news release here.

Cleveland-Cliffs Participates in Pioneering Hydrogen Test

Cleveland-Cliffs also recently took part in a hydrogen power test, says The Times NWI.

WEC Energy Group of Milwaukee and the Electric Power Research Institute blended hydrogen in a natural gas generator in a test to supply energy to Cleveland-Cliffs iron ore mines in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The project is the first hydrogen power test of a utility-scale, grid-connected reciprocating engine generator in the world, according to an WEC Energy Group news release.

• During two weeks of testing in mid-October 2022, hydrogen and natural gas were tested in blends up to 25/75 percent by volume to power one of the reciprocating engine generating units serving Upper Michigan customers
• The testing was performed on an 18-megawatt unit that uses a technology known as RICE — reciprocating internal combustion engines — which was monitored to measure performance, output and emissions data

“The results of this project are a strong indicator that these dispatchable units can run on very low- and no-carbon fuels,” said Gale Klappa, executive chairman of WEC Energy Group.

Worldsteel Sustainability Indicators 2022 Report

The World Steel Association (worldsteel) recently published its Sustainability Indicators 2022 report, which presents key aspects of the global steel industry’s annual economic, environmental and social sustainability performance.

For the first time, worldsteel is now reporting separately the CO2 and energy intensity of steel manufactured using the blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) route, the scrap-based electric arc furnace (Scrap-EAF) route and the direct reduced iron-based electric arc furnace (DRI-EAF) route, in addition to a global CO2 emissions intensity.

Up until now the global average CO2 intensity and energy indicators represented a weighted average of the BF-BOF route and the scrap-based EAF route. As of today, this calculation also incorporates DRI-EAF production. The slight increase in the reported figures is largely explained by this adjustment in the methodology and does not represent an increase in the global trend of CO2 emissions and energy intensity; both remain largely stable.

A total of 104 steel companies and associations were included in this year’s data collection. The 33 companies who provided data for all eight indicators are listed in the report. Worldsteel members represent around 85% of global steel production. Several worldsteel members are also members of the Steel Framing Industry Association. Read the complete worldsteel news release here.

U.S. Steel Adds Executives to Enhance Its Best for All® Strategy

United States Steel Corporation, a leading steel producer and an SFIA member, recently announced the appointment of two new executive leaders, Christian Gianni as senior vice president & chief technology officer and John Gordon as senior vice president, raw materials & sustainable resources. Both Gianni and Gordon will report directly to David B. Burritt, president and chief executive officer of U.S. Steel.

Christian Gianni (left) senior vice president & chief technology officer and John Gordon, senior vice president, raw materials & sustainable resources, of U.S. Steel.

These appointments will help accelerate U. S. Steel’s Best for All® strategy and its ability leverages its competitive advantages in various steel product categories, including sustainable steel.

“As we pursue our Best for All strategy, Christian is uniquely qualified to help position U. S. Steel as an early adopter and innovator as we move toward the future with purpose and with speed,” said Burritt.

Additional Resources

• Update #5 | News from Nucor, Cleveland-Cliffs and a New Low-Emissions Steel Coalition
• Update #4 | Steel Framing Industry Sustainability Initiatives
• Update #3 | Steel Framing Industry Sustainability Initiatives 
• Update #2 | Steel Framing Industry Sustainability Initiatives 
• Update #1 | Steel Framing Industry Sustainability Initiatives