Rising Investments and Policies Drive Industrial Decarbonization
Key Ideas
  • Europe and the US are boosting investments in low-emissions materials like green aluminum and steel through policies like the Industrial Demonstrations Program and carbon contracts for difference auctions.
  • Annual investments in industry decarbonization projects have tripled from 2018 to 2023, surpassing $48 billion, with a focus on clean steel, aluminum, and cement.
  • Steel manufacturers are planning significant low-emissions steel production capacity by 2030, primarily through direct-reduction coupled with electric arc furnaces, incentivized by markets like the EU.
  • Producers in the aluminum sector are emphasizing recycling and clean power procurement, with plans to deploy hydrogen and electrification for emissions reduction on a larger scale in the 2030s.
The article discusses the challenges heavy industries face in achieving net-zero emissions and highlights efforts in Europe and the US to drive investments in low-emissions materials. The Industrial Decarbonization Market Outlook monitors advancements in producing green aluminum, steel, petrochemicals, and cement, with a notable emphasis on recycling and clean power adoption. Policies like the Industrial Demonstrations Program in the US and carbon contracts for difference auctions in Germany have allocated significant funding to support decarbonization projects. Investments in industry decarbonization projects have seen a substantial increase, exceeding $48 billion by 2023, particularly focusing on clean steel initiatives. Steel manufacturers are targeting substantial low-emissions steel production capacity by 2030, with an emphasis on technologies like direct-reduction and electric arc furnaces, driven by economic attractiveness and hydrogen incentives. In the petrochemical sector, while most plastics labeled as 'sustainable' are recycled, companies like BASF, Sabic, and Linde have initiated the world's first electric cracker demonstration project in Germany. However, there is minimal interest in large-scale electrification projects for petrochemical refineries in this decade. Additionally, aluminum producers are concentrating on recycling and sourcing clean power to reduce emissions, with plans to implement hydrogen and electrification solutions for emissions reduction in the 2030s.
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