Outokumpu Circle Green – setting a new standard with 92% lower carbon footprint than the industry average
Outokumpu is shaping the stainless steel market with its new emission-minimized product line, Circle Green. It has the smallest emission intensity in the world, with a 92% lower carbon footprint than the global average and 64% lower than Outokumpu’s regular production – which is already the current sustainability leader in the industry. The new standard for sustainable stainless steel is now set.
Outokumpu Circle Green, the emission-minimized stainless steel, answers the global need for more sustainable and long-lasting products that help to build a more sustainable future.
A global first with emission-minimized stainless steel production
The production of the new Outokumpu Circle Green is the first of its kind, as no other stainless steel manufacturer has been able to produce stainless steel with such low emission levels.
The unprecedented emission reduction was achieved with improvements throughout the whole stainless steel production chain. Reductions in upstream raw material emissions were key to this success as they contribute the majority of stainless steel’s total carbon footprint. Meticulous production and quality optimization led to higher energy efficiency. Biogas, biodiesel, bio coke, and low-carbon electricity have been used in production to eliminate 95% of all scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions. While these bio-based materials have all been tested previously in production, they were used together for the first time ever to produce Outokumpu Circle Green.
The first batch was produced in Tornio, Finland, and was delivered to one of our strategic customers, Fiskars Group, to use for cookware. In this first phase, we will concentrate our efforts to serve a few strategic customers, but we are already looking at ways to scale up the production.