Back to Extractives & Minerals Processing

Audit-Ready Carbon Reporting for Steel Producers

Track blast furnace coke and coal, basic oxygen furnace process emissions, electric arc furnace electricity, and scrap steel versus virgin iron ore carbon intensity.

Book Demo Start Free Trial

The Industry Hotspot: Blast Furnace Metallurgical Coke

Blast furnace dominates emissions

Integrated steel mills using blast furnaces generate the majority of industry emissions. Blast furnaces reduce iron ore using metallurgical coke (processed coal) releasing substantial CO2 from carbon combustion and chemical reduction reactions. Basic oxygen furnaces convert pig iron to steel with additional process emissions. Electric arc furnaces using scrap steel as feedstock consume electricity but avoid metallurgical coke entirely, producing steel with significantly lower carbon intensity when powered by renewable electricity. NetNada tracks coking coal consumption, blast furnace throughput, EAF electricity, and scrap utilization rates to calculate emissions per tonne steel.

SASB Industry Definition

The Iron & Steel Producers industry manufactures steel through two primary routes: integrated mills using blast furnaces with iron ore and metallurgical coal, and electric arc furnace (EAF) mini-mills using recycled scrap steel. Integrated steel production is highly carbon-intensive due to metallurgical coke consumption in blast furnaces and coal-based energy. EAF production using scrap steel and renewable electricity has substantially lower emissions. The industry faces transition pressure toward low-carbon steel production through hydrogen-based direct reduction and increased scrap recycling.

View SASB Standard →

Industry-Specific Carbon Accounting

No generic solutions. Metrics, data sources, and reporting aligned to Iron & Steel Producers operations.

Blast Furnace Carbon Intensity

Integrated mills consume metallurgical coke to reduce iron ore in blast furnaces. Track coking coal input, blast furnace productivity, and hot metal output. Calculate emissions from coke combustion and chemical reduction reactions. Report emissions per tonne of hot metal and per tonne finished steel. Benchmark against industry averages and best-performing integrated mills.

Emissions per tonne steel

Electric Arc Furnace Electricity Tracking

EAF mills melt scrap steel using electric arcs. Electricity consumption is primary energy input. Track kWh per tonne steel produced. Apply grid emission factors or renewable energy procurement for Scope 2 calculation. EAF with renewable electricity achieves substantial emissions reduction compared to blast furnace route. Report EAF share of total production.

EAF electricity per tonne

Scrap Steel Utilization Rate

Using recycled scrap avoids virgin iron ore mining and blast furnace emissions. Track percentage scrap in steel production mix. Mini-mills use nearly one hundred percent scrap. Integrated mills incorporate scrap into basic oxygen furnaces to reduce carbon footprint. Calculate avoided emissions from scrap utilization versus virgin iron ore route.

Scrap utilization percentage

Process Emissions from Limestone

Limestone is added as flux in blast furnaces and basic oxygen furnaces. Calcination of limestone releases process CO2 separate from fuel combustion. Track limestone consumption and calculate process emissions. Report as distinct emission source in methodology notes. Unavoidable under current steelmaking technology but reduced with alternative fluxes.

Process emissions tracked

Hydrogen-Based DRI Transition Modeling

Direct reduced iron using hydrogen instead of natural gas or coal eliminates carbon in reduction process. Emerging technology with several pilot projects globally. Model emissions impact of partial or full transition from blast furnace to hydrogen-DRI-EAF route. Calculate capital investment and emission reduction per tonne steel. Support low-carbon steel strategy development.

H2-DRI pathway modeled

SASB EM-IS Metrics Automation

Auto-generate disclosure including gross Scope 1 and 2 emissions, energy consumption, emissions intensity per tonne steel, percentage of production from EAF versus blast furnace, and air quality emissions. Footnotes cite production volumes and steelmaking technology mix.

SASB EM-IS compliant

Product Features for Iron & Steel Producers

Use Carbon Data Uploader to import coking coal consumption, blast furnace output, EAF electricity, and production data for automated steel mill emissions calculation. Learn more →

The Activity Calculator applies emission factors for coke, limestone, natural gas, and electricity—calculating steel production carbon intensity by route. Learn more →

Related Solutions

See our Carbon Accounting solution for end-to-end steel production emissions tracking from blast furnace through finishing mills.

View solution

Iron & Steel Producers Case Studies

How entities in this industry use NetNada to solve carbon accounting challenges.

Integrated Steel Mill (Blast Furnace-BOF, 5M tonnes crude steel/year)

Challenge

EU ETS Phase IV carbon pricing significantly increased production costs. Emissions intensity above EU benchmark free allocation level resulting in carbon costs. Customers demanding low-carbon steel with third-party certification.

Solution

Deployed NetNada with blast furnace and BOF monitoring. Tracked coking coal consumption, limestone input, natural gas use, and electricity. Calculated baseline emissions per tonne steel. Modeled emission reduction scenarios: increased scrap in BOF, waste heat recovery, carbon capture pilot.

Result

Implemented scrap utilization increase from fifteen to twenty-five percent in BOF reducing blast furnace output needed. Installed waste heat recovery generating electricity from blast furnace gas. Emissions per tonne steel reduced by approximately fifteen percent over four years. Launched certified low-carbon steel product line for automotive customers at premium pricing.

EAF Mini-Mill (100% scrap-based, 1M tonnes/year)

Challenge

Automotive OEM sustainability requirements demanded steel with verified low carbon footprint. Needed third-party certified product carbon footprint showing advantage versus blast furnace steel. Grid electricity still had significant emission factor.

Solution

Used NetNada to calculate product-level carbon footprint for EAF steel. Tracked electricity per tonne, scrap procurement emissions (minimal), and auxiliary materials. Signed renewable energy PPA for mill electricity supply. Generated EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) for certified low-carbon steel.

Result

Product carbon footprint with renewable electricity was substantially lower than integrated mill steel. Achieved ResponsibleSteel certification. Won major automotive supply contracts requiring low-carbon steel. Published carbon footprint comparison showing emission advantage clearly documented.

SASB Disclosure Topics for Iron & Steel Producers

Material sustainability topics beyond emissions that investors and stakeholders expect disclosed per SASB standards.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

environment

Track Scope 1 from blast furnace coke combustion, limestone calcination, and fuel combustion. Report Scope 2 from electricity (significant for EAF mills). Calculate emissions per tonne crude steel produced.

Energy Management

environment

Monitor coking coal and natural gas consumption for integrated mills. Track electricity intensity for EAF operations. Report energy efficiency improvements and waste heat recovery systems.

Air Quality

environment

Track particulate matter, SOx, and NOx emissions from blast furnaces, coke ovens, and sintering plants. Report air quality compliance and pollution control technologies deployed.

Water Management

environment

Monitor water consumption for cooling, dust suppression, and slag quenching. Track wastewater treatment and discharge quality. Report water recycling rates.

Workforce Health and Safety

social

Report injury rates, near-miss incidents, and safety training hours. Disclose heat stress management and personal protective equipment protocols for high-temperature operations.

Transition to Low-Carbon Steel

business model

Disclose investments in hydrogen-based direct reduction iron (DRI), carbon capture and storage, increased scrap utilization, and renewable energy procurement. Report low-carbon steel production volumes.

NetNada tracks all SASB material topics, not just emissions. Our platform supports disclosure across environmental, social, governance, and business model topics relevant to your industry.

Iron & Steel Producers FAQs

Common questions about carbon accounting for this industry

What is the difference in carbon intensity between blast furnace and electric arc furnace steel?
Blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace route using virgin iron ore and metallurgical coke has high emissions from coke combustion and chemical reduction reactions. Electric arc furnace route using scrap steel avoids blast furnace entirely, consuming mainly electricity. EAF with grid electricity has substantially lower emissions than blast furnace. EAF with renewable electricity achieves very low carbon intensity. Gap between routes is significant and driving industry transition toward scrap-based EAF production where scrap availability allows.
Can integrated steel mills reduce emissions without completely replacing blast furnaces?
Yes, several near-term reduction strategies exist: increase scrap utilization in basic oxygen furnaces to reduce blast furnace output, improve energy efficiency through waste heat recovery and optimized operations, partially replace pulverized coal injection with natural gas or hydrogen, deploy carbon capture on concentrated emission streams. These measures can reduce emissions incrementally while longer-term transition technologies (hydrogen-based DRI, full CCUS) develop to commercial scale.
What are process emissions in steel production and why do they matter?
Process emissions result from chemical reactions during steelmaking, distinct from fuel combustion. Limestone (calcium carbonate) added as flux decomposes releasing CO2 from calcination reaction. This is unavoidable with current blast furnace technology using limestone. Process emissions represent a significant portion of total blast furnace emissions. Must be reported separately as they cannot be reduced through fuel switching alone. Alternative fluxes or production routes required to eliminate process emissions.
How does hydrogen-based direct reduced iron differ from blast furnace steelmaking?
Blast furnaces use carbon (coke) to chemically reduce iron ore, releasing CO2 as byproduct of reduction reaction. Hydrogen-based direct reduced iron uses hydrogen gas instead of carbon to reduce iron ore, producing water as byproduct instead of CO2. Resulting sponge iron is melted in electric arc furnace to produce steel. Eliminates both combustion and process emissions from reduction step. Requires renewable hydrogen production to achieve full decarbonization. Technology proven but not yet cost-competitive at commercial scale.
Is recycled scrap steel always lower carbon than virgin steel?
Scrap-based EAF steel generally has much lower carbon intensity than virgin blast furnace steel. However, depends on electricity grid emission factor for EAF and scrap collection/sorting emissions. Scrap quality limitations mean some applications require virgin steel for quality specifications. Scrap availability is finite - global steel demand growth exceeds scrap supply requiring continued virgin production. Low-carbon virgin steel from hydrogen-DRI will be necessary complement to maximizing scrap recycling for overall industry decarbonization.

Track Blast Furnace, EAF, and Scrap Steel Carbon Intensity

See how steel producers calculate emissions per tonne by production route, model low-carbon transition pathways, and generate SASB-compliant disclosures.

Book a Demo Start Free Trial