Alleima takes next step in life cycle analysis, releases carbon footprint data
Alleima has decided to calculate and present the carbon emissions data of their final products. Now Alleima is sharing product-specific and reviewed carbon footprint data on its manufactured solid bar products, used for segments like Industrial, Oil and Gas, Chemical and Petrochemical and Transportation. Calculations of products like the Sanmac 316L show an 81% lower carbon footprint in comparison to global average.
With rising carbon dioxide emissions, pressure on companies to lower their emissions rise. Alleima has committed to reach net-zero latest 2050 and to reduce scope 1 and scope 2 CO2-emissions by more than 50%, by 2030 (compared to 2019). To ensure Alleima’s customers that products have low impact, it has been decided to implement Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
All calculations in Alleima’s LCA model have been independently reviewed by IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute to ensure data accuracy. By providing reliable LCA information, to customers and end-users, they will also be able to calculate their own carbon emissions for their final products.
Solid bar products, that Alleima now releases data on, stand for around 5% of Alleima’s products and is used by customers in segments like Industrial, Oil and Gas, Chemical and Petrochemical and Transportation.
“We want our products and processes to be more efficient, more profitable, and more sustainable. Producing low carbon emission stainless steels requires access to low carbon energy which is why Alleima is striving to use fossil-free electricity exclusively. We believe that by being transparent we can also strengthen our trust among our customers and stakeholders. By implementing sustainable solutions now, Alleima is contributing to a greener future for the industry,” says Håkan Sundström, Head of Governance and Sustainability.
The reason why Alleima can show comparably low carbon emissions data for its solid bar products, is related to the use of fossil-free electricity, and the large extent of recycled materials in the final product.
Alleima uses 100 procent fossil free electricity. Its location in Scandinavia has helped the company to keep its carbon emissions low in comparison to other parts of the world. Generally, in Sweden close to 100% of the electricity is fossil-free, while it for instance is 50% in Germany and 35% in China, according to data from Our World in Data.
The amount of recycled material used in production is a key factor in ensuring low carbon emissions, as mining and processing virgin alloys like nickel and chromium are highly carbon intensive. Generally, in Europe the average scrap content for steelmakers is 85%, while in Asia it is about 31%, according to data from World Stainless. This requires the use of more virgin alloys, leading to significantly higher carbon emissions.
