Outokumpu’s New Stainless Steel Powder Production Plant in Krefeld Advances Sustainability Goals

Group from left to right: Stefan Erdmann (Outokumpu, Chief Technology Officer & Group Sustainability), Marc Blondin (Member of the NRW State Parliament), Meral Thoms (Member of the NRW State Parliament), Guido Görtz (Member of the NRW State Parliament), Mona Neubaur (Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy), Henrik Lehnhardt (Outokumpu, Managing Director and Labor Director), Dr. Max Menzel (Outokumpu, Head of Sustainability & Technical Customer Service), Hasim Cantürk (Outokumpu, Chairman of the Works Council) und Dr. Cem Kurutas (Outokumpu, Managing Director and Head of Operations Krefeld)

(IN BRIEF) Outokumpu, a leading stainless steel manufacturer, recently held talks with Mona Neubaur, the Deputy Prime Minister of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection, and Energy, to discuss sustainability and climate protection in the steel industry. Outokumpu has already set ambitious targets for reducing emissions and its new product line, Circle Green, reduces total CO2 emissions by approximately 90% compared to the global industry average. The company is investing €7 million in energy efficiency projects at its Krefeld mill and exploring the feasibility of a biocoke plant to generate regenerative gas from waste wood. Outokumpu’s new stainless steel powder production plant in Krefeld uses completely recycled stainless steel scrap to produce high-quality powder for additive manufacturing, representing another step towards greater sustainability.

(PRESS RELEASE) HELSINKI, 20-Mar-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — Outokumpu (HEL: OUT1V), the largest producer of stainless steel in Europe, recently hosted Mona Neubaur, the Deputy Prime Minister of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection, and Energy, at their Krefeld mill for discussions on sustainability and climate protection in the steel industry.

Outokumpu has already taken a leadership role in the drive for sustainability, with a carbon footprint that is 70% lower than the global industry average. The company has set ambitious targets for reducing emissions and is committed to the 1.5°C climate target of the Science Based Targets Initiative, making it the only stainless steel manufacturer to commit to these ambitious CO2 reductions. The certification procedures according to the standards of ResponsibleSteel are also currently underway for all European production sites.

“We have a strong track record of sustainability. With Circle Green, we are now setting completely new standards for sustainable stainless steel and can show how environmentally friendly stainless steel can already be produced today,” says Stefan Erdmann, Chief Technology Officer & Group Sustainability. “But for us, sustainability is not just an end in itself. Our development efforts directly benefit our customers: in the end, the lowest possible CO2 emissions also improve their carbon footprint through reduced emissions from the upstream supply chain and thereby make our customers’ products more sustainable.”

Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy: “To secure the industry in North Rhine-Westphalia in the long term and continue our state’s success story we need strategies for decarbonization and resource efficiency. As the state government, we support energy-intensive companies with tailor-made funding instruments and support offers to master the major challenges of the climate-neutral transformation. I am therefore very pleased that Outokumpu is massively saving CO2 in steel production here in Krefeld with the Product Carbon Footprint. It shows how the transformation of our industry can succeed.”

Outokumpu’s new product line, Circle Green, is a significant milestone in sustainability, reducing total CO2 emissions (scopes 1, 2, and 3) by approximately 90% compared to the global industry average. The product offers customers more than 5 tons of CO2 emissions saved per ton of stainless steel, compared to the global industry average of around 6.1 tons of CO2 emissions per ton of stainless steel. Outokumpu provides customers with Product Carbon Footprints (PCF) for all of the company’s products, giving product-specific information on total emissions along the production chain.

“We check regularly all options for making our production even more sustainable,” says Dr. Cem Kurutas, Managing Director and Head of Operations Krefeld. “This applies to the recovery of heat from our production processes as well as to measures with which we can save resources and promote biodiversity at our sites.” To support the latter, the “bee meadows” which have been successfully planted at the Outokumpu mill in Dillenburg a few years ago will soon also grow in Krefeld.

Investments of around €7 million are planned for various energy efficiency projects at the Krefeld mill to further optimize processes and increase energy efficiency by a total of 8% by 2024, significantly reducing resource consumption per ton of stainless steel produced. Outokumpu is also exploring the feasibility of a biocoke plant to generate regenerative gas from waste wood.

“What we as a company do for sustainability today will determine how the world of tomorrow will look like. That is why Outokumpu’s sustainability strategy does not only reach people’s heads, but also their hearts,” summarizes Managing Director and Labor Director Henrik Lehnhardt.

In addition, Outokumpu’s new stainless steel powder production plant in Krefeld is set to begin production. The plant utilizes completely recycled stainless steel scrap from its own mills to produce high-quality powder for additive manufacturing. The plant not only opens up a new customer segment for Outokumpu, but is also a significant step towards greater sustainability.

Outokumpu’s commitment to sustainability is driving innovation and pushing the steel industry towards a more sustainable future. For more information on Outokumpu’s sustainability initiatives and product offerings, please visit www.outokumpu.com/sustainability.

For more information please contact:

Claudia Fischer, Communications Manager Germany, tel. +49 (0) 176 56907575, e-mail claudia.fischer(at)outokumpu.com

SOURCE: Outokumpu Oyj