Scrap metal ‘ought to keep in UK to assist business’s battle towards local weather change’

Scrap metal ought to keep within the UK to spice up manufacturing and battle local weather change, the business urged at this time.

Trade physique UK Steel warned transport waste metallic abroad for processing may jeopardise plans to rework the sector within the coming years. It fears exporting scrap to nations with decrease environmental requirements may gas carbon emissions. It desires the waste metal to remain in Britain so it may be utilized in vegetation being transformed from coal-fired blast furnaces to greener electrical arc programs.

Scrap metal is the principle “feedstock” for the less-polluting furnaces. UK Steel director-general Gareth Stace stated: “It simply is sensible that, right here within the UK, we take advantage of this useful resource which we have now in abundance moderately than letting it go and importing uncooked supplies as a substitute. Exporting large volumes of this treasured materials solely creates an even bigger carbon footprint and means we’re shirking our environmental obligations.

“Steel scrap is core to our rapid transition to net-zero. Next to major government funding commitments and competitive industrial electricity prices, scrap policy is the final piece of the jigsaw to enable the decarbonisation of the UK steel sector and a low-carbon, circular economy.”

The steel industry is blamed for 14% of the UK’s industrial emissions and 2.7% of all Britain’s greenhouse gases. Tata Steel’s Port Talbot plant is due to switch to electric arc furnaces, while British Steel plans new electric systems at Teesside and Scunthorpe, Lincs, as the sector tries to slash emissions.

Some 80% of the 10 million tonnes of scrap steel generated in Britain every year is sent abroad. More than half goes to countries which are not in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and which, critics say, have “lower social and environmental protections”.

UK Steel said Britain’s industry sector will need three times as much scrap steel as is currently available to deliver its net-zero ambition. It warned: “As steelmakers in the UK and abroad journey towards decarbonising, steel scrap will become an increasingly sought after raw material, with global demand expected to rise by 30% by 2030 and over 60% by 2050.” Its latest report, Steel Scrap: A Strategic Raw Material for Net Zero Steel, says the “UK risks stripping itself of a vital resource to produce net-zero steel at a time of rising domestic demand”. The study recommends only allowing scrap exports to countries “that can demonstrate their ability to treat waste sustainably”; incentivising keeping scrap metal in Britain “by reducing price support offered to scrap exports”; and taking measures to improve the quality of scrap metal.

Mr Stace added: “The UK’s steel sector is undertaking a radical transformation on its journey to net-zero and steel scrap will be at the heart of this. What is shocking is that the UK produces more than 10 million tonnes of scrap a year, but exports over 80% of it. With so many countries around the world acting swiftly to secure their own supply and restricting their exports, we cannot just sit on our hands.”

The Mirror has been campaigning to Save Our Steel since 2015.