Iowa Steel Mill Achieves First Near-Zero-Emissions Steel Using Recycled Scrap and Wind Power
thebusinessdownload.comAn SSAB steel mill in Montpelier, Iowa has become the first facility worldwide to produce near-zero-emissions steel that meets International Energy Agency and First Movers Coalition thresholds. The mill uses an electric arc furnace powered by renewable electricity, along with recycled scrap metal, biocoal, and hydrogen-reduced iron, to achieve Scope 1 and 2 emissions below 0.05 kg CO2e per kg of steel. This eliminates the need for carbon offsets or mass balancing. The steel, branded SSAB Zero, is used by GE Vernova for onshore wind towers and by Volvo for electric vehicles. The production loop is closed in Iowa: wind turbines built with the steel generate renewable power that runs the mill. The facility employs 500 people and has an on-site R&D lab. This demonstrates that deep decarbonization of heavy industry is commercially viable when paired with customer demand and local renewable energy.