We need to look at alternative recycled materials for construction. That is where much of the recycled steel is currently going.
Eighteen storey tall wooden buildings are springing up in the world. The net environmental benefit is a tricky one though https://knowablemagazine.org/content/ar ... kyscrapersWe still live, arguably, in the age of steel.
What is there to apologise for?Hi guys, I apologise for not being on here for months to any degree.
Hurricane Milton (Florida, Wednesday) was increased in strength by climate change due to warmer seas. The frequency of intense storms has increased as well https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/10 ... ry-2-to-3/PDQ Mobile wrote: ↑11 Oct 2024, 4:48pm Still it's not all doom and gloom (or?).
Record rainfall in drought stricken S Sahara.
https://www.newsweek.com/photos-show-sa ... in-1955847
A search give more links.
Higher quality steel needs pig iron in addition to scrap steel. Pig iron comes from iron ore (ilmenite is smelted in some countries, e.g. Norway). Iron ore and ilmenite both need to be plucked from the ground.
Mining iron ore here or elsewhere is necessary for UK steel needs. Lets assume similar climate impact for mining and then consider the impact of transport.roubaixtuesday wrote: ↑10 Oct 2024, 11:19amI posted some info on transport; the bottom line is that transport emissions for steel are negligible compared to the emissions from production.tim-b wrote: ↑10 Oct 2024, 10:35amNot that I know of, which is why I think that it should be considered. Ships bunkering the worst fuel available in transportation don't help the environment. Mining isn't great, but it's an opportunity for the economy tooElectric arc furnaces alone aren't necessarily what the UK needs.
A more strategic discussion on UK steel needs, whether mining should be considered v. the environmental damage caused by importing/shipping, etc. is required
Let's hope that we get a sensible strategy before we leap. Their record hasn't been great so farJdsk wrote: ↑10 Oct 2024, 10:44amThe government's strategy is due in Spring 2025:
https://hansard.parliament.uk/%E2%80%8C ... elStrategy
Jonathan
Not that I know of, which is why I think that it should be considered. Ships bunkering the worst fuel available in transportation don't help the environment. Mining isn't great, but it's an opportunity for the economy too
Electric arc furnaces alone aren't necessarily what the UK needs.Jdsk wrote: ↑10 Oct 2024, 10:16amAFAIK the current (!) plan is to put an electric arc furnace in Scunthorpe and another in Teesside.tim-b wrote: ↑10 Oct 2024, 9:12am ...
I'd remind you that the British Steel plant at Scunthorpe is owned by Jingye of China.
Government needs to step in and discuss the type of furnace that will replace the two blast furnaces on the Scunthorpe site, how viable re-opening iron ore mining in the UK is, etc.
Jonathan
I'd remind you that the British Steel plant at Scunthorpe is owned by Jingye of China.Biospace wrote: ↑7 Oct 2024, 5:37pmRecycled steel is certainly a very good thing, but it's important this country can supply industry's demands, our high energy prices are crippling for industry. Importing so much Chinese steel for the second Forth road bridge should never need to be repeated.tim-b wrote: ↑6 Oct 2024, 4:51pmIf not there will be no benefit to the global climate - in fact there will be an increase in emissions due to the emissions of transporting the steel.We produce 10mn tonnes of scrap steel p.a. and use 2mn. tonnes, world emissions will be reduced because of the reduction in the 8mn tonnes of scrap steel that we currently export per annum.I don't see how there will be any reduction in emissions, unless it means there is less virgin steel used, globally.
The UK uses some 15mn tonnes of steel, so rather than import millions of tonnes of raw materials, including coal, and export 8mn tonnes of scrap, we could reduce both import and export journeys https://libertysteelgroup.com/uk/greensteel/
Current Electric Arc Furnace tech allows high quality steels to be produced, key is the tech to sort scrap to get the "mix" right.
The mix can include Direct Reduced Iron (pig iron), which can now be produced without a blast furnace using reformed natural gas rather than coke/coal.
If we buy wisely, then we use pig iron from a lower emitting method produced nearer to home. An alternative is not to become the only G20 country without virgin steel production and invest in our own lower carbon production.
Other countries have more competitively-priced energy, which is definitely something to address if we're to reduce import/export emissions further by producing our own steel
The other problem with blast furnaces is that they are difficult to stop/start and tend to run constantly. Electric Arc Furnaces are more responsive in that respect, saving emissions when less steel is needed.
Climate change isn't solely a UK or European problem. Other producers need to do their bit too
Jdsk wrote: ↑9 Oct 2024, 3:30pm "New partnership between statistical authorities of the UK and the EU":
https://www.ons.gov.uk/news/news/newpar ... ukandtheeu
Nice sensible grown-up collaboration. More, please.
Jonathan
The EUDR, which blocks foreign exporters from accessing the EU single market if their products benefit from deforestation, is a logical piece of legislation. Forest fires constituted 19% of global carbon emissions in the 60 years to 2019, an Oxford University study showed. New research from the investigative NGO Earthsight revealed how chicken sold by McDonald’s and major European supermarkets like Carrefour and Albert Heijn has been linked to the loss of 23,000 hectares of Brazilian forests since January 2021 – an area almost the size of Frankfurt. https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/d ... 024-10-03/
If not there will be no benefit to the global climate - in fact there will be an increase in emissions due to the emissions of transporting the steel.
We produce 10mn tonnes of scrap steel p.a. and use 2mn. tonnes, world emissions will be reduced because of the reduction in the 8mn tonnes of scrap steel that we currently export per annum.I don't see how there will be any reduction in emissions, unless it means there is less virgin steel used, globally.
"Buy my book, you can believe everything that I say"Asked for further comment, Johnson told The Telegraph: “I think everything you need to know about that episode is in the book.”