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BMW: Car manufacturer relies on eco-steel from the Arctic Circle

2021-11-05T08:25:35.650Z


Hydrogen instead of coal and only green electricity as energy - BMW is relying on carbon neutrality for future vehicle generations in steel.


Hydrogen instead of coal and only green electricity as energy - BMW is relying on carbon neutrality for future vehicle generations in steel.

Munich - Car traffic is one of the biggest causes of greenhouse gas emissions - behind energy generation and industry.

And within industry, steelmakers are one of the largest emitters of carbon dioxide (CO2).


During the production of one ton of steel, four tons of CO2 are released into the air.

This means that electric cars are anything but climate-neutral, even if they are only charged with green electricity.

That should change.


BMW: ecological steel from the Arctic Circle

In order to reduce the ecological footprint in production, BMW * relies on steel from northern Sweden, which is made with green electricity and hydrogen. In the province of Norrbotten near the Arctic Circle, the start-up H2 Green Steel is building a gigantic steel mill that is supposed to be largely climate-neutral. Production of five million tons is planned for 2030. For comparison: Europe's largest steel location, Duisburg, has around twelve million tons per year.

Everything you need for ecological steel production is abundantly available in the area.

Ore deposits, 15 hydropower plants and the world's largest onshore wind farm is being built nearby.

Inexpensive energy is also urgently needed.

In order to generate the necessary hydrogen, the largest hydrogen electrolyser in the world is being built at the H2 Green Steel plant.

It is supposed to supply the plant with huge amounts of the gas.


BMW relies on hydrogen and green electricity for steel production

Why hydrogen?

Coke is usually used in electricity production.

The main purpose of the carbon contained therein is to remove the oxygen in the rust-red iron ore.

The problem: This creates four tons of CO2 per ton of steel.


Under different ambient conditions, the oxygen can also leach hydrogen from the ore.

In principle, no carbon dioxide is produced as exhaust gas in this process, but rather comparatively harmless water vapor.

An environmentally friendly alternative that other car manufacturers are also relying on.


BMW: Gradually more green steel

Now BMW cannot terminate its long-term supply relationships overnight. Only gradually does more and more green steel flow into production. The steel from Sweden * is to be delivered from 2025 and used for the "new class", the planned basic architecture for battery-electric vehicles from BMW. The aim is to reduce the climate footprint not only in operation, but also in production. Other suppliers will also be available for this in the future. All European steel producers want to get away from coke and CO2 as quickly as possible.

The use also has an impact on the organization of vehicle production.

Because sheet metal scraps, for example when punching out the doors, are brought back to Sweden, where they are urgently needed.

60 percent scrap and only 40 percent ore are necessary for climate-neutral steel production.

And the scrap must be as pure as possible - and ideally come from the same plant.

Because secondary steel, which is mixed together from different alloys, is considered inferior.


BMW: Climate-neutral steel production in Sweden

But that also means that the variety of steels must be reduced significantly.

Because one thing is certain: steel will also be indispensable for the cars of the future.

According to BMW Board Member for Purchasing, Andreas Wendt, “it will not lose its importance for future vehicle generations either”.


H2 Green Steel is owned by several investors around the Vargas Holding, which is also the main shareholder in Northvolt.

Northvolt is currently also building a gigafactory in northern Sweden that runs only on green electricity and hydrogen, from which BMW will obtain battery cells from 2024.

(mp) * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-11-05

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