Steel Structure Specialist Severfield on Track forNet Zero Journey
Strategic Research Institute
Published on :
23 Aug, 2022, 5:57 am
Dalton Thirsk North Yorkshire headquartered leading British steel structure specialist Severfield's Sustainability Manager Ms Sara Halliday has unveiled Severfield’s net zero ambitions and decarbonisation journey so far. She wrote that in achieving the Paris Agreement's goal of net-zero by 2050, there are a number of emerging technologies and decarbonization strategies that signal progress, six of which are prioritized in the BCSA roadmap
1. Design efficiency
2. Circular economy
3. Direct steelmaking emission reductions
4. Decarbonisation of the electricity grid
5. Carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS)
6. Steel transport, fabrication and erection
Each one of the six 'levers' is intended to cover the whole UK structural steelwork sector, providing multiple pathways to decarbonize - many of which are already in motion.
Levers 1 and 2 cover 'demand-side measures', offering the easiest near-term decarbonization benefits through smarter, more efficient designs using less steel (Lever 1) and extending the whole life of steel through reuse and recycling (Lever 2). As designers, fabricators and erectors, lever 1 and 2 are key for Severfield.
Lever 3 is expected to deliver carbon reductions over the next ten years, using emission- reduction technologies such as waste heat recovery, increased scrap steel use, and biomass/biowaste to produce the energy required for steelmaking.
A stable supply of affordable renewable energy is fundamental to Lever 4's contribution to decarbonised steelmaking. The UK's electricity grid is expected to be decarbonised to target levels by 2050, and this will better facilitate the use of scrap in steel production as electricity becomes the primary energy source.
Lever 5 will see most carbon reductions achieved after 2035, and a predicted overall carbon reduction of 25% by 2050. This is due to the suite of new technologies required to capture, store, and recycle CO2 at source, such as power plants and industrial facilities using fossil fuels.
As a steel fabricator and erector, our focus is also on the sixth lever. By 2050, it is expected that Lever 6 will contribute an 8% carbon reduction.
Ms Halliday wrote “We have been measuring and managing our carbon footprint for many years as part of our ambitious sustainibility strategy. In August 2021, we were accredited as carbon neutral by the Carbon Trust, in accordance with PAS 2060, the international standard for carbon neutrality. We will continue to maintain this going forward. Furthermore, we have increased sustainability awareness across the organisation; we are encouraging colleagues to become more engaged by launching our Smarter, Safer, more Sustainable business strategy.
She wrote “These are the greenhouse gas emissions that are produced as a direct result of our operations, such as powering the production facilities, offices, and transporting goods. We've taken significant action to minimize carbon emissions by 60% since 2015, through various initiatives including shifting to more energy-efficient technologies, lean manufacturing techniques, and switching to renewable electricity. Scope 3 is where the most impact can be achieved. It covers all of the associated emissions that a company is indirectly responsible for throughout their supply chain, such as the procurement/processing of raw materials, business travel, transport and distribution, employee commuting, and waste. According to the GHG Protocol, Scope 3 emissions equate to approximately 70% of an organisation's carbon footprint. For Severfield, this can be as high as 98% due to the embodied carbon in the steel we purchase. Embodied carbon is the total amount of CO2 emitted from producing materials; from the energy used to extract and transport raw materials to the emissions from their manufacturing processes. Although scope 3 reporting is not mandatory, if an organisation's scope 3 is more than 40% of emissions, then there exists an economical and ethical responsibility to report it and set targets to reduce it.”
Severfield is a structural steel contractor. By turnover it is the largest in the UK and amongst the biggest in Europe, with a capacity of 165,000 tonnes per year. Landmark works include London's 2012 Olympic Stadium, The Shard, Wimbledon Centre Court roof, Emirates Stadium and Paris Philharmonic Hall. The firm has acquired businesses across structural steel market sectors within the UK and participates with JSW Group in two Mumbai based joint ventures, JSW Severfield Structures Ltd and indirectly, JSW Structural Metal Decking Ltd.