Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen
Steel accounts for up to 20 percent of the CO2 emissions in the production of an electric car.
(Photo: dpa)
The car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz now wants to purchase climate-friendly steel from half a dozen manufacturers in Europe. An annual volume of over 200,000 tons of CO2-reduced steel is planned over the course of the decade, Mercedes announced on Tuesday. That corresponds to about a third of the annual requirement in Europe.
Suppliers are Salzgitter, Thyssenkrupp, Voestalpine, Arvedi, SSAB and H2 Green Steel. The carmaker wants to at least halve the average greenhouse gas emissions per new car by 2030 compared to 2020. Steel accounts for up to 20 percent of the CO2 emissions in the manufacture of an electric car.
“The establishment of the sustainable steel supply chain in Europe serves as a blueprint for other regions,” the company said. The agreements are an important signal for the transformation of the European steel industry, added Markus Schäfer, Mercedes Board Member for Technology and Purchasing. Other car manufacturers such as Volkswagen and BMW have also announced plans to switch to low-CO2 steel.
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