Environment

EUROFER would like to stress the commitment of the steel industry towards the environment and believes that the IPPC Directive should be the main tool to control industrial sources. We are convinced that the application of the IPPC Directive is the best approach to ensure the sustainable improvement of environmental performance of European industry

The European steel industry is committed to contribute to the EU’s objective to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 20 % in 2020 compared with 1990 and by 30 % provided that other countries commit to comparable efforts in the framework of a global agreement.

Eurofer proposal for the implementation of Art. 10a. of Directive 2009/29/EC

This document addresses questions regarding the treatment of steel industry waste gases with respect to the implementation of the revised Emissions Trading Directive. The document will be updated in line with the type of issues and questions as they appear in the debates.

The paper compares electricity production from unavoidable waste gases with natural gas based electricity production. It is found that investment costs and costs for personal operation and maintenance are significantly higher for waste gas fired electricity production. Even by assuming zero fuel cost for waste gases the overall cost for the latter is 120% of the former. Market access gives an additional disadvantage to waste gas based electricity production of either reduced profit or opportunity costs incurred to the extent of 25%. Consequently, an artificial equalization of waste gases with natural gas when allocating free allowances in the framework of the ETS Directive will in effect maintain and reinforce the naturally existing disadvantage of electricity production from waste gases and by this disincentivise the efficient energy recovery and substitution of primary fuels.

EUROFER background paper on “waste gases” from integrated steel making sites in the context of the revision of the EU Directive on Emissions Trading

Action Plans on Sustainable Consumption and Production and Sustainable Industrial Policy - EUROFER contribution to the Internet consultation

EUROFER background paper - Leakage risk aspects in the implementation of Directive 2003/87/EC

EUROFER Position Paper on Commission’s Communication on Integrated Product Policy COM(2003) 302 final

The steel industry is a large consumer of raw materials and energy and therefore there will always be a strong incentive to improve the yield and use the resources more efficiently.