Energy
Leaner and cleaner
Steel-making is an energy-intensive process, and in 2007 alone we used around 22.3 gigajoules per tonne of liquid steel produced, which added up to a worldwide total of 2,565 petajoules. With such big numbers at stake, energy efficiency is crucially important to us both for environmental reasons, and as a way of reducing our costs.
In the four years up to 2012 we'll be spending US$ 500 million on making the whole company more energy efficient, and we believe we could potentially save up to 2 million British Thermal Units per tonne of liquid steel. This is around a 10 percent improvement overall.
The new Group policy was launched in May 2008, and aims to make greater energy efficiency a key element in all our decision-making relating to procurement, equipment, and technology, as well encouraging positive changes in individual behaviour.
We have a Group-wide energy management system which sets out our overall objectives, identifies best practice, and provides a practical framework for assessing capital investment and technological upgrades.
A dedicated team has analysed the potential for improvements in 22 of our major plants. In most cases these will come from gas reallocation and optimisation.
For example, in Krivih Rih, in the Ukraine, twelve key action points were identified and nine have already been completed. These included the more efficient regulation of the power used in the plant burners, and the re-use of gas generated by the steel-making process.
We're also looking at reducing the amount of coke used in our blast furnaces, which will further help cut our CO2 emissions.
In 2008 and 2009, ArcelorMittal received the 'Energy Star' Partner of the Year designation for its energy efficiency achievements in the US - and remains the only steel manufacturer to receive this honor. Over the past three years, our US operations have accomplished a 4.1 percent improvement in energy intensity, equivalent to $131 million of annualized savings.
Read the ArcelorMittal Energy Policy