A £35m research network has been launched in Wales with the aim of making the industry carbon-neutral by 2040.
The SUSTAIN research network has been setup by Swansea University, in partnership with the University of Sheffield and the University of Warwick. It will involve more than 20 partners across the UK steel industry with the inclusion of manufacturers, academic experts, research organisations and trade bodies.
Supported by an investment of £10m from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, it will be one of its Future Manufacturing Research Hubs. SUSTAINs' work will focus on two areas; zero-waste iron and steel making. It is hoped that the work can help double UK steel manufacturers’ gross value added (GVA) by 2030, boost jobs in the industry to 35,000 and increase productivity by 15%.
Dr Cameron Pleydell-Pearce, steel expert at Swansea University and SUSTAIN’s deputy director, said: "This news is a massive vote of confidence in the steel industry. It will support the industry’s vision for a responsible, innovative and creative future. We are already on the road to clean, green and smart steelmaking, but this is another giant step forward."
Professor Mark Rainforth, from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield, added: "Steel is fundamental to every aspect of society. Developing higher performance steels with reduced carbon footprint during manufacture is key to reducing CO2 emissions and therefore contributing to the reduction in global warming. This grant brings together all the UK experts in steel to address this critical issue."
