Driving Sustainability on our Road to Net Zero

Opinion by Peter Leblanc, Chief Marketing Officer, Automotive, ArcelorMittal North America - May 23^th 2022

The sustainability theme was apparent at the 20^th anniversary of Great Designs in Steel (GDIS). Held in Detroit, Mich. (USA) in May 2022, GDIS brings automotive and steel industry leaders together to share insights and engage in thoughtful discussions on the latest developments and applications of steel – and the demand for a cleaner supply chain.

As the first company to have a Responsible SteelTM-certified site in the world, and as its founding member, ArcelorMittal prioritizes safety and sustainability. We embrace our role of leading the steel industry’s transition to a net-zero future. 

In North America, our commitment is to reduce our CO₂ emissions by 25 percent by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050. These efforts build upon ArcelorMittal’s global commitment to achieve a 25 percent reduction by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050. To achieve these ambitious targets, we’re decarbonizing our operations and driving innovative sustainability initiatives. We also continue to deliver sustainable products and solutions our customers want and need. 

In North America, we have more than $3 billion of investments planned before 2030 – not to increase capacity, but to decarbonize the steelmaking process.

These projects include:

• Installation of a Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) plant and Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) at ArcelorMittal Dofasco in Hamilton, Ontario to reduce CO₂ emissions by approximately 60 percent by 2028 
• Installation of an EAF at AM/NS Calvert in Calvert, Ala. which will be in production by first half 2023 and support all automotive steel grades 
• Conversion of Port-Cartier pellet plant in Quebec from iron ore pellets toDRI pellets by end of 2025, reducing CO₂ emissions by 20 percent 
• Acquisition of a Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) facility in Texas to produce high-quality metallic DRI feedstock for EAFs  
• Trial of green hydrogen replacement for natural gas in the production of DRI, which was successful earlier this month at our steel plant in Contrecoeur, Quebec 

We’re investing in programs and partnerships that drive innovation and accelerate meaningful sustainability progress.

In 2021, ArcelorMittal launched XCarb^TM. XCarb is an umbrella brand that unites our reduced, low and zero-carbon products and steelmaking activities, and other green innovation projects. The three components include: 

•  XCarb™ green steel certificates – Designed for blast furnace-made products, the steel industry’s first-ever certification scheme passes on carbon reductions achieved via investments in operations to customers 
•  XCarb™ recycled and renewably produced – Designed for EAF-made products, this designation recognizes steel produced with 100 percent recycled content and renewable energy sources 
•  XCarb™ innovation fund – Investments of up to $100 million annually in groundbreaking companies developing pioneering or breakthrough technologies to accelerate the steel industry’s transition to carbon neutral steelmaking 

Our industry-leading Research and Development (R&D) group is what sets ArcelorMittal apart from the competition. With six of 11 R&D centers dedicated to automotive research, including two in North America, a $290+ million annual investment portfolio, 565 dedicated researchers, and the ability to share knowledge across continents – our R&D efforts are second to none.  

Together, we create processes, products and solutions that are required by today’s automaker and driver. And, we use science-based targets to guide our efforts. Here are some recent advancements:

• GI Fortiform^® 980 – This 3rd Generation high-formability, high-ductility advanced high strength steel (AHSS) was launched in production vehicles in early 2021. ArcelorMittal received the Altair Enlighten Award for this groundbreaking product that supports automakers’ lightweighting and safety targets. 
• Usibor^® 2000 and Ductibor^® 1000 – The next generation of our Press Hardenable Steels family, these two steels offer very high yield and tensile strengths after heat treatment and hot stamping. 
• Future Mobility – As the demand for hybrid and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) evolves, so will the material from which they are made. A new S-in motion^® study shows that AHSS solutions are the best choice for this revolution. From the full body-in-white to battery packs, our smarter steels extend range, reduce cost and enhance safety.  

We’re proud to be part of the sustainability conversation at Great Designs in Steel and many others taking place in North America and throughout the world. Even more important, we are proud to be a part of the solution. We look forward to continuing to work with our automotive partners to achieve a sustainable, net-zero future, together.