Learn more about some of our sustainability achievements in the timeline.
Our sustainability journey
Demand from industry and society for ever more sustainable materials is only set to grow. But that’s not a new trend for us. Continuously evolving materials is what we do. And it’s what we’ve been doing for over 160 years.
Already in 1921, we started using our own scrap from our steel production to re-melt in our, at the time, new induction furnace. Steel has an outstanding characteristic: it can be endlessly recycled over and over, without its material qualities being compromised.
1999 marked the first ISO14001 certification. All of Sandvik Steel operations in Sandviken, which was our largest and most influential production unit in terms of energy consumption and environmental impact, received environmental certification in accordance with ISO 14001.
How to reduce water consumption, reduce waste and increase metal recycling? We take part in the started EU project Inspirewater with the aim of developing new technology to do just that.
As part of becoming a more sustainable company, we decided to establish a local heating network in the industrial area in Sandviken. The project contributes to reduced energy consumption and reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. In addition to lower environmental impact, the project means reduced costs for heating buildings.
A cooperation agreement was signed between us and Gästrike Ekogas to take advantage of the biogas plants surplus biogas. This contributes to our industrial area in Sandviken being able to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by several thousand tons per year by replacing parts of oil, LPG and natural gas with carbon-neutral biogas.
Our long-term goal is to reach 90% recycled steel in our manufacturing. The aim is to drive the shift to more circular business models and the use of resources, finding ways to close loops and generate new revenue streams from the processes and materials we use.
In 2019, we changed from diesel-powered vehicles in the industrial area in Sandviken to HVO100. This significantly reduced the environmental impact, especially CO2 emissions, by as much as 92% or 2000 tons.
In 2020, we started our own buy-back program, aligned with our ambition to reach 90% in production system circularity. Knowing that the scrap consists entirely of our premium material also facilitates raw material handling in the steel mill.
Recycling and reusing products from our production is of great importance and in line with our sustainability goals. Another of these initiatives is the handling and recycling of slag from steelmaking, which has resulted in a 100% possible recycling of the electric arc furnace slag used in the manufacture of rock drill steel.
During 2020, we were also able to achieve an indirect reduction of 5,800 tons of CO2 emissions per year, by changing to a more energy-efficient lime in our steel mill processes.
Supercritical water gasification is an important clean energy innovation, that requires advanced materials for high pressure and temperature conditions. Our advanced seamless tubes proved to meet the challenges of this energy transition technology, enabling a renewable future.
In addition, and during the year, a strategic partnership liaised between division Kanthal and HYBRIT, aimed at revolutionizing steelmaking technology by developing an electric gas heating solution for the hydrogen used to make fossil-free sponge iron.