Johannes Rieger
Area Manager Raw Materials and Recycling & Metallurgical Processes at K1-MET GmbH
Abstract: Clean Steel Partnership - the accelerator towards Sustainable Steel Production in Europe
The Clean Steel Partnership is developed in the context of the EU goal and policies to achieve the European Green Deal, the Fit for 55, Clean Planet for All strategy, and the Paris Agreement targets. It will thus contribute to fighting climate change and moving towards climate neutrality by 2050, a zero- pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment and a circular economy using digital technologies as an enabler and new forms of collaboration. Steelmakers are committed to reducing their emissions and thereby contributing to the achievement of the EU climate targets.
The Clean Steel Partnership nurtures the long-term vision of supporting the European leadership in the transformation of the steel industry into a climate-neutral sector. The steel industry has set itself the following vision for CO2 emissions reductions compared to 1990 levels:
- Develop technologies reducing CO2 emissions from steel production by 55% by 2030 respect to 1990;
- Develop deployable technologies that can reduce CO2 emissions by 80-95% by 2050, ultimately achieving climate neutrality.
Therefore, the general objective of the Partnership is to develop technologies at TRL8 to reduce CO2 emissions stemming from EU steel production by 80-95% compared to 1990 levels, ultimately leading to climate neutrality. This will contribute to the EU effort towards a climate-neutral continent. At the same time, this objective is to be achieved, while preserving the competitiveness, and viability of the EU steel industry and making sure that EU production will be able to meet the growing demand for steel products. This general objective is in line with the climate ambitions and commitments set by the European Green Deal, the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and the Paris Agreement.
The presentation will describe the essence of the Clean Steel Partnership, its bright start since June 2021, and its expected impact towards the transition of the EU steel sector towards climate neutrality.
Biography:
Dr. Johannes Rieger studied at the Montanuniversität Leoben and achieved a master’s in industrial environmental protection with a special focus on process technology, and then continued his studies to obtain a PhD.
Since 2015, Rieger has been employed at the metallurgical competence centre K1-MET, and is the manager of the research areas ‘resources and recycling’ and ‘metallurgical processes’. Rieger’s expertise is in the fields of process development, characterization and utilization of raw materials and residuals in iron and steel industry as well as in the formation and control of pollutants in metallurgical processes.
