LIBERTY Steel Leads the Charge in Sustainable Steelmaking at COP28

This December, LIBERTY Steel Group became a headline sponsor of the World Climate Summit – The Investment COP28, the world’s leading forum for business and investment-led solutions to climate change. 

Find out more from LIBERTY Steel UK colleagues Scott Jackson, Works Manager for ACP, and Ed Heath-Whyte, LSUK Head of Environment and Sustainability, who attended the event and presented two LIBERTY case studies at the side event “The Worldsteel Breakthrough Technology Conference”.

The potential to eliminate carbon emissions from a traditionally hard-to-abate sector like steelmaking seems almost too good to be true. But that’s the opportunity presented by Ecoke, a ground-breaking new sustainable material being pioneered by LIBERTY Steel UK.

Speaking at the Breakthrough Technology conference on the side-lines of COP28 Ed Heath-Whyte, shared the results of their successful Ecoke trials, demonstrating its potential to transform the steel industry’s carbon footprint.

Ecoke briquettes, made by CPL Industries, replace anthracite coal, the primary source of charge carbon in electric steelmaking. LSUK’s first trials in 2022 used a product called ecoke®30, a 30% biomass and 70% anthracite mix.

These trials achieved a reduction in direct carbon emissions from electric arc furnaces by up to 30%. Further work in 2023 focused on a new product – ecoke®100 – made entirely from biomass.

Concerns existed that ecoke®100 might compromise performance and increase costs due to its higher price per tonne compared to anthracite. However, the good news is that ecoke®100’s melting performance is equally efficient, and the Environment Agency confirmed it has no negative impact on water, ground, or waste. Additionally, its classification as biomass exempts it from the UK’s Emission Trading System, minimising cost concerns.

Since mid-2023, LSUK has been successfully utilising ecoke®100 in steel production, enabling immediate carbon footprint reduction while maintaining their focus on high-quality steel production.

Ecoke is a pioneering product with significant potential across LIBERTY’s global business and the steel industry as a whole. It complements LSUK’s ongoing innovation in downstream high-precision products for strategic sectors like defence, aerospace, and energy. Importantly, it serves as a powerful demonstration that electric steelmaking can achieve true green status through innovative thinking and embracing new approaches.