Different regional standards for low-emission steel production must find common ground to ensure the creation of reliable markets for lead for steel, a German research institute says in a study on Chinese and European standards.
Harmonized standards for low-carbon steel are an important basis for investments of one billion euros in the production of environmentally friendly steel, according to the Wuppertal Institute, a research body specializing in topics related to climate, the environment and social sustainability.
Standards create demand, reducing uncertainty for investors, according to Chun Xia-Bauer, Lucas Hermville and Anna Lipprand, the authors of a study titled "Green Steel, general rules?".
Comparing the European standard for low-emission steel (LESS) and the Chinese standard "C2F Steel", they came to the conclusion that these two standards are largely comparable from a technical point of view," says Callanish. Both companies support the transition to the production of primary steels with a high degree of decarbonization and scrap-based steel using renewable energy sources. Nevertheless, significant differences remain in their systems, so full technical compatibility is unlikely in the near future, the authors write.
In their opinion, the next realistic step could be to create mapping and transformation tools that would help firms, buyers, and policy makers understand how products classified according to one standard would be interpreted according to another.
Author: Christian Kel
Kallanish.com