Regionalized greenhouse gas emissions and infrastructure requirements for future global iron and steel production

The steel industry accounts for approximately 7–9% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it a key sector for decarbonization. Here, we quantify current and prospective greenhouse gas emissions from crude steel production facilities worldwide. Based on life cycle assessment, current greenhouse gas emissions of global crude steel production are around 3.7 gigatonnes carbon dioxide equivalent per year, highly concentrated in Asia. Depending on the future 2 ◦ C scenario in 2040, greenhouse gas emissions may decline by up to 70%, to 1.1–2.3 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. Also, we show that decarbonizing steel may require up to 90 million tonnes of hydrogen per year, 1.0 gigatonne of carbon dioxide storage per year, and/or electricity supply with up to 6,000 terawatt-hours per year, more than twice the European Union’s current electricity supply. Our results highlight the importance of regional context and the substantial infrastructure needs of low-carbon steel production.