Certified climate-friendly: LESS certification for CO2-reduced Saarstahl products

Saarstahl Aktiengesellschaft (Saarstahl) successfully certifies its first CO2-reduced products in accordance with the Low Emission Steel Standard (LESS). This standard enables CO2-reduced steel to be classified and improves the ability to compare the emission loads of various steel products. Saarstahl has received “Low Emission C” certification from LESS AISBL for its bar steel, wire rod and rail product groups. This puts the classification well above the level of European rail production using the blast furnace route (Level E). Verification of the CO2-reduced products was carried out by TÜV Nord as an independent testing institute. The crude steel for these products is manufactured at the Saarstahl Ascoval plant (Saint-Saulve, France) using the electric arc route as well as scrap as an input material.

“The LESS certification for Saarstahl’s CO2-reduced products shows that Saarstahl is already focusing rigorously on climate-friendly steel production and can already offer corresponding products,” said Jonathan Weber, Chief Transformation Officer. “With the implementation of our Power4Steel decarbonization project and the use of hydrogen, we will also be able to manufacture CO2-reduced products with the DRI/electric furnace route.” The now-certified Saarstahl products are marketed under the brands S-PURE+ Bar Steel, S-PURE+ Wire Rod and S-PURE+ Rail.

The LESS classification system was developed by the German Steel Federation and the founding members of LESS as part of a stakeholder process for lead markets organized by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK). The steel products are verified in the six-level evaluation system (levels E to A and “near-zero”) on the basis of their emission load and scrap content. Ongoing transformation activities such as the increasing use of renewable energy are helping improve classification. As a consequence, LESS is improving the transparency of product-related transformation advances. For effective implementation, however, Europe urgently needs green lead markets that effectively promote sustainable products.

The SHS Group – which includes Saarstahl and Dillinger (Aktien-Gesellschaft der Dillinger Hüttenwerke) – is aiming for further improvement in the LESS classification system after successful implementation of the Power4Steel decarbonization project. The project plans to achieve climate-friendly steel production using the direct reduction and electric arc route fueled with the use of hydrogen.

About LESS
The Low Emission Steel Standard (LESS) provides a structured framework for verifying, classifying and labeling low-emission steel. LESS AISBL is a non-profit association based in Brussels and is the owner of the standard. LESS currently represents European steel producers, which account for almost 45% of the crude steel production in the EU. Members include steel producers on the primary and secondary routes.