19. December 2023 | Finnish stainless steel producer Outokumpu and German technology company Siemens are collaborating to reduce CO2 emissions from medium-voltage switchgear. The two companies have agreed on the first deliveries of the near carbon-neutral stainless steel Circle Green®.
The collaboration is designed to help both companies achieve their ambitious climate targets. Given the urgent need for decarbonisation and increased electrification, Siemens is committed to using sustainable stainless steel for medium-voltage switchgear in wind turbine cabinets.
“As industries around the world look to reduce carbon emissions to reach ambitious net-zero targets, sustainable steel has a huge potential. In Outokumpu we have found an organization dedicated to accelerating the industrial decarbonization of stainless-steel production,” says Stephan May, CEO of Electrification and Automation at Siemens Smart Infrastructure. “By utilizing sustainable materials in our Electrification and Automation portfolio, we are frontrunners in driving a responsible approach to industry progress.”
Niklas Wass, President of the Stainless Europe business unit at Outokumpu, emphasises the importance of sustainable stainless steel. It is crucial for the increasing demand for energy and the future of environmentally friendly solutions:
“The rising energy demand and future of green solutions are dependent on sustainable stainless steel. By transitioning to renewable energy and investing in low-carbon technologies and materials today, we can fight climate change. Our spearhead climate solution, Circle Green, enables green energy transition and brings a true opportunity to transform various industries. We are proud to join forces with Siemens, who shows the way towards a low-emission future,” says Niklas Wass.
High emission reduction potential with green stainless steel
To produce Circle Green and to reach up to a 93% lower carbon footprint as the industrial average*, Outokumpu uses 100% low-carbon electricity, low-carbon raw materials, such as recycled steel, and reinvented production processes.
If all the stainless steel in the world was produced with the same methods as used for Circle Green production, it would reduce global carbon emissions from the entire stainless steel value chain by 364 million tons per year. This equals over 900 million one-way flights of one passenger across the Atlantic Ocean from London to New York.
*) Global average CO₂ emissions (2023): 7 kg CO₂e per kg of stainless steel (Outokumpu’s calculation based on data provided by CRU and worldstainless). Outokumpu Circle Green CO₂ emissions: down to 0.5 kg CO₂e per kg of stainless steel.
About Outokumpu
Originally a copper company, Outokumpu has expanded and developed its stainless steel business. With the acquisition of ThyssenKrupp’s stainless steel division Inoxum in January 2012, the company became the largest stainless steel producer in Europe. Outokumpu employs around 8,500 professionals in nearly 30 countries, is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, and is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki Stock Exchange.
About Siemens
Siemens AG is a leading technology company focusing on industry, infrastructure, transportation and healthcare. In the fiscal year ended 30 September 2023, the Siemens Group generated revenue of €77.8 billion and net income of €8.5 billion and employed approximately 320,000 people worldwide. Siemens Smart Infrastructure is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland.