Iron and Steel Industry

The iron and steel industry accounts for around 7% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 11% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Global steel production has more than doubled between 2000 and 2020. China accounted for 53% of global steel production in 2020. Under the current policy and technology regime, the energy use and GHG emissions of the steel industry is likely to continue increasing because the increased demand for steel, particularly in developing countries, is outpacing the incremental decreases in the energy and CO2 emissions intensity of steel production happening.

Global Efficiency Intelligence has extensive experience investigating energy use and efficiency and decarbonization technologies and strategies for the iron and steel industry globally. Some of our related publications are listed below.

Our steel industry-related publications:

1. Hasanbeigi, A.; Sibal, A.; Springer, C. 2024. China’s Titanic Transition to EAF Steelmaking: Challenges, Opportunities, and Solutions. Global Efficiency Intelligence. (forthcoming)

2. Hasanbeigi, Ali; Zuo, Bonnie; Springer, Cecilia; Jackson, Alastair; Kim, Daseul; Heo, Esther Haerim. (2024). Green Steel Economics: Comparing the Economics of Green H2-DRI and Traditional Steelmaking Around the World. Global Efficiency Intelligence, LLC; TransitionAsia; Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC).

3. Hasanbeigi, Ali; Springer, Cecilia; Sibal, Adam. (2024). Green Hydrogen for Decarbonizing Asia's Industrial Giants: Analyzing H2 Electrolyzer Market Opportunity in Key Industrial Applications. Global Efficiency Intelligence, LLC.

4. Hasanbeigi, Ali; Springer, Cecilia; Irish, Hannah. (2024). Green H2-DRI Steelmaking: 15 Challenges and Solutions. Global Efficiency Intelligence, LLC.

5. Dollinger, Caroline; Cresko, Joe; Gage, Sam; Kamath, Dipti; Zuberi, Jibran; Hasanbeigi, Ali; Ray, Brian. (2024). Pathways Analysis Summary: Decarbonization Potential for Industrial Subsectors – Preliminary Modeling Results. Energetics; U.S. DOE, Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO). (Dr. Ali Hasanbeigi of GEI was the Lead for Steel and Cement Industry)

6. Hasanbeigi, Ali; Springer, Cecilia ; Bhadbhade, Navdeep; (2024). Advancing Green Public Procurement of Steel and Cement in China. Global Efficiency Intelligence, LLC.

7. Hasanbeigi, Ali; Springer, Cecilia (2024). Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap Framework for the Cement and Steel Industry Morocco. (A White Paper). Global Efficiency Intelligence for United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

8. Hasanbeigi, Ali; Lu, Hongyou; Zhou, Nan (2023). Net Zero Roadmap for the Steel Industry in China. Global Efficiency Intelligence, LLC. and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.

9. Hasanbeigi, Ali; Bhadbhade, Navdeep (2023). Green Public Procurement of Steel in India, Japan, and South Korea. Global Efficiency Intelligence, LLC.

10. Hasanbeigi, Ali; Sibal, Adam (2023). What is Green Steel? Definitions and Scopes from Standards, Initiatives, and Policies around the World. Global Efficiency Intelligence, LLC.

11. Hasanbeigi, Ali; Bhadbhade, Navdeep; Springer, Cecilia (2023). Corporates, Electricity, and Renewables. Global Efficiency Intelligence, LLC.

12. Hasanbeigi, Ali (2023). Embodied CO2 Emissions in Steel Imports to the U.S. Global Efficiency Intelligence, LLC.

13. Hasanbeigi, Ali (2022). Steel Climate Impact - An International Benchmarking of Energy and CO2 Intensities. Global Efficiency Intelligence, LLC.

14. Hasanbeigi, Ali (2022). U.S. Carbon Border Adjustment for Aluminum and Steel. Global Efficiency Intelligence, LLC. (forthcoming)

15. Hasanbeigi, Ali; Lu, Hongyou; Zhou, Nan (2022). Net Zero Roadmap for the Steel Industry in China. Global Efficiency Intelligence, LLC. and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.

16. M'barek, Badr; Hasanbeigi, Ali; Gray, Matthew (2021). Global Steel Production Cost- A country- and plant-level cost analysis. Global Efficiency Intelligence, LLC. and TransitionZero.

17. Hasanbeigi, Ali; Astrid Nilsson, Gökce Mete, Germain Fontenit; Shi, Dinah (2021). Fostering Industry Transition through Green Public Procurement: A "How to" Guide for the Cement & Steel Sectors. UNIDO and Clean Energy Ministerial and LeadIt.

18. Hasanbeigi, Ali; Shi, Dinah; Khutal, Harsh. (2021). Federal Buy Clean for Cement and Steel. Global Efficiency Intelligence, LLC.

19. Hasanbeigi, Ali; Springer, Cecilia (2019). How clean is the US steel industry? An international benchmarking of the steel industry’s GHG emissions. San Francisco, CA. Global Efficiency Intelligence, LLC.

20. Hasanbeigi, Ali; Nina Khanna, Price, Lynn (2017). Air Pollutant Emissions Projection for the Cement and Steel Industry in China and the Impact of Emissions Control Technologies.

21. 39. Zhang, Qi; Hasanbeigi, Ali; Price, Lynn; Lu, Hongyou; Arens, Marlen (2016). A Bottom-up Energy Efficiency Improvement Roadmap for China’s Iron and Steel Industry up to 2050.

22. Hasanbeigi, Ali; Arens, Marlene; Cardenas, Jose C.R.; Price, Lynn; Triolo, Ryan (2015). Development of a Framework for Comparison of Energy-Related CO2 Emission Intensity of the Iron and Steel Industry in China, Germany, Mexico and the U.S.

23. Hasanbeigi, Ali; Arens, Marlene; Price, Lynn; (2013). Emerging Energy Efficiency and CO2 Emissions Reduction Technologies for the Iron and Steel Industry.

24. Hasanbeigi, Ali; Zeyi Jiang, Price, Lynn (2013). Analysis of the Past and Future Trends of Energy Use in Key Medium and Large-Sized Chinese Steel Enterprises, 2000-2030.

25. Morrow, William; Hasanbeigi, Ali; Sathaye, Jayant; Xu, Tengfang. (2013). Assessment of Energy Efficiency Improvement and CO2 Emission Reduction Potentials in the iron and steel Industry in India.

26. Hasanbeigi, Ali; Morrow, William; Sathaye, Jayant; Masanet, Eric; Xu, Tengfang. (2012). Assessment of Energy Efficiency Improvement and CO2 Emission Reduction Potentials in the Iron and Steel Industry in China.

27. Hasanbeigi, Ali; Price, Lynn; Aden, Nathaniel; Zhang Chunxia; Li Xiuping; Shangguan Fangqin, (2011). A Comparison of Iron and Steel Production Energy Use and Energy Intensity in China and the U.S.

28. Asia Pacific Partnership for Clean Development and Climate, (2010). The State-of-the-Art Clean Technologies (SOACT) for Steelmaking Handbook (2nd Edition). Prepared by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and American Iron and Steel Institute.

29. Rojas-Cardenas, Jose; Hasanbeigi, Ali; Sheinbaum-Pardo, Claudia; Price, Lynn. (2017) Energy efficiency in Mexican iron and steel industry from an international perspective. Journal of Cleaner Production. Volume 158, 1 August 2017, Pages 335-348

30. Arens, Marlene; Worrell, Ernst. Eichhammer, Wolfgang; Hasanbeigi, Ali; Zhang. Qi (2015). Pathways to a low-carbon iron and steel industry in the medium-term – the case of Germany. Journal of Cleaner Production (Accepted- In press. Available online 6 January 2016).