United States Steel Corporation recently announced plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent. Targeting its U.S. steel making operations, the company plans to reach its emissions goal by 2030. 

“Committing to a global greenhouse gas intensity reduction target is central to U. S. Steel’s strategy to become a world-competitive ‘best of both’ integrated and mini mill steel company,” says U. S. Steel President and Chief Executive Officer David B. Burritt. “These reductions will be equivalent to the amount of CO2 being generated by more than 850,000 average-sized homes each year. By creating targeted carbon reduction initiatives to accelerate our transformation toward a future of sustainable steel, we create value for all stakeholders.”

As part of its reduction, the company is planning the development of electric arc furnace steelmaking at U. S. Steel’s Fairfield Works and at Big River Steel, the first LEED-certified steel mill in the nation. 

Electric arc furnace steelmaking relies on scrap recycling to produce new steel products, capitalizing on steel’s status as the most recycled material on earth. Further carbon intensity reductions are expected to come from the company’s introduction of state-of-the-art endless rolling and casting technology and construction of a cogeneration facility at its Mon Valley Works announced in May, as well as implementation of ongoing energy efficiency measures, continued use of renewable energy sources and other process improvements.   

“The carbon intensity reduction target announced today reflects our commitment to continuous improvement in production efficiency and builds on our industry-leading XG3 advanced high-strength steel," says Kevin Zeik, Ph.D., senior research fellow of innovation at U.S. Steel. "This technology enables automakers to manufacture lighter weight vehicles that meet federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards with reduced carbon emissions. As part of our innovation efforts, we continue to look at new steelmaking technologies including those that can further reduce carbon emissions as those technologies mature.”