The German steel Industry Association (WV Stahl) and the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) have jointly published the low carbon steel standard to accelerate the development of the low carbon emission steel market.
According to the German Iron and Steel Industry Association, the carbon emissions of the German steel industry are about 55 million tons/year, accounting for about one-third of the total carbon emissions of the German industry. The success of the steel industry in achieving a low-carbon transition requires clear rules and verifiable standards to make progress towards achieving a low-carbon transition measurable. In this context, the experts of the German Iron and Steel Industry Association and its member companies refer to the International Energy Agency (IEA) classification system standards for low-carbon steel, etc., to discuss the development of standards for calculating the emissions of hot rolled products, including the classification system, classification methods, classification procedures for low-carbon steel, as well as the audit and certification of low-carbon steel.
It is reported that the German low carbon steel iron standard according to the scrap ratio and process technology innovation and its application, has developed a set of "sliding scale" standards, that is, raw steel and recycled steel in terms of technological innovation can be determined according to this standard carbon emission levels. In terms of steel grades, the standard is divided into structural steel with an alloy content of less than 8% and steel bars and high-quality steel with an alloy content of more than 8%, and the scope of accounting is the hot rolling process. Around these two types of steel, the standard will be low carbon emission steel is divided into A~D and "close to zero" 5 grades, the emission value is not greater than the standard value can be identified as the corresponding grade of low carbon emission steel. Enterprises certified by the German mild steel iron standard can be marked on steel products. Companies certified to the German mild steel Iron standard must declare the amount of scrap steel they use in accordance with the environmental Product Declaration, as well as the total carbon footprint or global warming potential of the product contained in the finished steel.