Can Steel, Cement & Co. Go Green?

Industry is responsible for almost half of the world’s CO2 emissions. And heavy industry represents the lion’s share of those. But heavy industry is under pressure to make the switch to renewables in record time.Environmental protection is important to Mohammad Safi. He rides a bike and powers and heats his home with solar energy and a heat pump. The engineer is keen to keep his personal carbon emissions as low as possible - ideally, below the German pro capita average of 11 tons per year. An amount dwarfed by that of Safi’s employer, the steel giant ArcelorMittal.

Also Read | Sports News | Klaasen”s 83-ball 174 Propels South Africa to Huge 416-5 in 4th ODI Against Australia.

Also Read | World News | It's Too Early to Comment on Prigozhin Plane Crash as Investigation is Going On: Kremlin.

The German steel industry emits more than 30 million tons of CO2 annually. Together with the iron and cement industries, it’s among the world’s major environmental offenders. But: ArcelorMittal wants to change that. The manufacturer is testing a new production method that doesn’t need blast furnaces. This could cut emissions by two thirds. And if the plant switches from natural gas to eco-friendly hydrogen in future, the footprint could be reduced even more.

EGA’s aluminum production plant in Dubai is also exploring ways to make the transition to green energy. Currently, operations there guzzle as much power as the whole of London. But in future, this electricity will no longer be coming from a gas-fired power plant, but from the world’s largest solar park now under construction in the desert.

When it comes to cement, things are more complicated. CO2 is released at several stages of the production process, including burning fossil fuels to heat kilns and in the mining and transport of raw materials. Researchers at Dresden’s Technical University are developing a solution: concrete reinforced with carbon fibers instead of steel. The carbon fibers are much more robust, meaning less material is required. The technology is being trialed in an initial construction project.

But will all this be enough to ensure that the world’s biggest environmental offenders can turn things around and go green? The reportage explores the challenges and presents glimmers of hope on the path to eco-friendly heavy industry.

Broadcasting Hours:

DW English

MON 18.09.2023 – 18:15 UTC

MON 18.09.2023 – 23:30 UTC

TUE 19.09.2023 – 03:30 UTC

TUE 19.09.2023 – 09:15 UTC

TUE 19.09.2023 – 12:15 UTC

TUE 19.09.2023 – 21:30 UTC

WED 20.09.2023 – 07:30 UTC

WED 20.09.2023 – 10:30 UTC

Lagos UTC +1 | Cape Town UTC +2 I Nairobi UTC +3

Delhi UTC +5,5 | Bangkok UTC +7 | Hong Kong UTC +8

London UTC +1 | Berlin UTC +2 | Moscow UTC +3

San Francisco UTC -7 | Edmonton UTC -6 | New York UTC -4

DW Deutsch+

TUE 19.09.2023 – 09:15 UTC

WED 20.09.2023 – 07:30 UTC

Vancouver UTC -7 | New York UTC -4 | Sao Paulo UTC -3

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 15, 2023 09:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).