Renewable Energy Institute today published “Towards Carbon Neutral Steel in Japan: Learning from the Latest Trends in the European Union.”
Japan announced its carbon neutrality goal by 2050. Industry sectors account for 37% of Japan’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, among which, iron and steel form the largest industrial emitters. Iron and steel are important materials widely used by a multitude of industries. Thus, transformation of the upstream steel making process is essential to minimize the carbon footprint of industrial products made in Japan while remaining competitive.
Since the steel making process requires high-temperature heat and emits an enormous amount of carbon dioxide induced from using coke (made from coal), decarbonizing this sector is considered difficult. However, as our Info Pack clearly shows, technological alternatives, such as hydrogen-based direct reduction and utilizing scrap steel in electric furnaces, are already promising options. In particular, Europe is the global leader in terms of both developing policy frameworks and promoting steel companies' shift to green steel production, which provides meaningful implications for the policy debate in Japan.
We hope that the Japanese translation of the report by Agora Industry, Wuppertal Institute and Lund University released today together with our Info Pack, can stimulate proactive discussion and contribute to Japan’s policy decision making.
<Contents>
1. Introduction
Why decarbonizing steel is key for a 2050 carbon neutral Japan, and opportunities to learn from the EU
2. The European Union’s Steel Decarbonization Leadership
Important developments related to steel decarbonization in the EU
3. Steel Decarbonization Technological Options
Advantages and drawbacks of the different steel decarbonization technologies
4. Conclusion
Summary
Annexes
COP26 International initiatives, current Japanese steel production assets
Lists of Acronyms and References
＜Related Links by Agora Energiewende＞
[Press Release] Shifting global steel reinvestments from coal to clean (3 November 2021)
[Report] Agora Industry, Wuppertal Institute and Lund University (2021): Global Steel at a Crossroads. Why the global steel sector needs to invest in climate-neutral technologies in the 2020s
Since the steel making process requires high-temperature heat and emits an enormous amount of carbon dioxide induced from using coke (made from coal), decarbonizing this sector is considered difficult. However, as our Info Pack clearly shows, technological alternatives, such as hydrogen-based direct reduction and utilizing scrap steel in electric furnaces, are already promising options. In particular, Europe is the global leader in terms of both developing policy frameworks and promoting steel companies' shift to green steel production, which provides meaningful implications for the policy debate in Japan.
We hope that the Japanese translation of the report by Agora Industry, Wuppertal Institute and Lund University released today together with our Info Pack, can stimulate proactive discussion and contribute to Japan’s policy decision making.
<Contents>
1. Introduction
Why decarbonizing steel is key for a 2050 carbon neutral Japan, and opportunities to learn from the EU
2. The European Union’s Steel Decarbonization Leadership
Important developments related to steel decarbonization in the EU
3. Steel Decarbonization Technological Options
Advantages and drawbacks of the different steel decarbonization technologies
4. Conclusion
Summary
Annexes
COP26 International initiatives, current Japanese steel production assets
Lists of Acronyms and References
＜Related Links by Agora Energiewende＞
[Press Release] Shifting global steel reinvestments from coal to clean (3 November 2021)
[Report] Agora Industry, Wuppertal Institute and Lund University (2021): Global Steel at a Crossroads. Why the global steel sector needs to invest in climate-neutral technologies in the 2020s
