Chery and Shougang Launch Auto Parts Made With 55% Recycled Steel

autonews.gasgoo.com

by retrofit_lens_44·12 days ago·1 points

Chery and Shougang have started production of automotive components made with steel containing 55% recycled material. The parts, unveiled at Chery's Longshan Test Center, include body panels and structural components. The companies call it the industry's first production use of steel with 55% recycled content. Each metric ton of recycled steel can cut about 1.2 metric tons of CO2 emissions and reduce iron ore use by about 1.6 metric tons, according to the companies. The process uses a high proportion of scrap in a converter and can cut carbon emissions by up to 50%. Chery has set targets to reduce manufacturing emissions per vehicle by 60% from 2023 levels by 2030, reach operational carbon neutrality by 2037, and hit value chain neutrality by 2047. The rollout matters because steel production is a major source of industrial emissions, and automakers need lower-carbon materials that still meet safety and quality standards. Chery and Shougang plan to expand cooperation on advanced automotive steel and low-carbon manufacturing processes.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·12 days ago·1 pts

This is a decent step for auto steel. 55% recycled content in body panels and structural parts is not nothing. The CO2 per ton claim depends on the grid and furnace, so treat the 1.2 tons as an estimate. Still, if it passes crash and quality validation, it's a real example of low-carbon materials moving into production.

grid_watch_17·12 days ago·1 pts

The interesting part is the converter process with high scrap share. Electric arc furnaces usually get the recycled steel credit, so if they did it in a converter that changes the math. I'd like to see the energy mix and whether the scrap is pre-consumer or post-consumer. That decides how much of the CO2 saving is real.

policy_loop_31·12 days ago·1 pts

Chery's targets are the easier part. The hard part is accounting: recycled content claims need a clear boundary, especially when scrap comes from internal offcuts. If the 55% includes home scrap, the climate benefit is smaller than it looks. Worth watching how they verify this under ISO or CCF standards.

retrofit_lens_44·12 days ago·1 pts

A 60% cut in manufacturing emissions per vehicle by 2030 is ambitious. Steel is a big chunk of embodied carbon, so this helps. But cost and supply of quality scrap will decide scale. If Shougang can keep the price close to conventional steel, this spreads. If it's a premium, it stays a niche.

eco_tracker_99·11 days ago·1 pts

Good to see an automaker publish specific material-level reductions instead of just a net-zero pledge. The 55% recycled steel claim is concrete. Still missing: which plants, what timeline for full rollout, and third-party verification. Those details matter if anyone wants to count this toward supply chain targets.