Interview With Ron Ashburn, AIST

Decarbonisation of steel industry remains among our top technical priorities. As a knowledge center for the global steel industry, we want to facilitate the best, most informed thinking among all stakeholders – the steel producers, the technology and service providers, government, academia and the public. Decarbonisation is a shared problem, and we can only solve it by working together. Intertwined with decarbonisation is our market development and workforce development efforts.

These are immensely impactful programs. Related thereto, on Monday (25 March 2024), we learned that two key U.S. producers, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. and SSAB Americas, are planning to build direct-reduction plants and new melting units based on funding opportunities made available through the Inflation Reduction Act and the infrastructure plan. These projects represent more than US$1 billion in new investment, which is in addition to the US$25 billion in North American steel industry private investment under way now.

Certainly, this legislation will drive and sustain new steel demand in the years ahead as the US modernises its infrastructure and adopts a cleaner and more efficient energy system. Steel needs clean energy, and clean energy needs steel… there is a fundamental interdependence.

Without a doubt, yes. In general, we will need more steel, but we will specifically need more sophisticated types of steel, steel that can be manufactured more efficiently, with enhanced properties and supply chain efficiencies made possible with digital process control and automation. Also, there will be heightened competition for a skilled workforce. The mills will have to do more with less human capital. Robotics, artificial intelligence, predictive analytics – these are all technologies that will enable the industry to make the most of the people on payroll.

In Europe, one of the most important challenges will be to enhance the scrap collection and distribution pipeline, especially as producers switch over the electric steelmaking. As things are, the EU exports a lot of scrap, some 19.5 million tons last year. It’s the most exported type of waste from the EU, and that’s material that could otherwise be redirected to domestic furnaces.

In the U.S., we already have a robust collection infrastructure. Our challenge, however, is to improve the quality of the scrap stream through improved categorisation and sorting. Copper residuals, largely from wiring in shredded automobiles, are becoming an increasing challenge, and we need to do a better job of separating unwanted materials out of the scrap stream. Digitalisation technologies need to overcome these challenges with improved optimisation and beneficiation techniques.

When it comes to the Global Steel Dynamics Forum, I deliberately take the stairs so I have more time to deliver a persuasive pitch…

But briefly, there simply is no other event like the Global Steel Dynamics Forum. This is a high-level, strategy- focused discussion on the global steel industry’s long-term trends, and the event is purposefully located in the financial capital of the world. If you are interested in knowing where the industry is headed globally in the decade ahead, more so than what the price of steel will be in a month from tomorrow, this is the conference for you.

Now, more than ever, raw materials, energy, process routes, market access, product differentiation and culture will determine who succeeds, especially as companies make multibillion dollar, transformational investments in support of steel’s decarbonisation goals. At the GSDF, you’ll be in the room with C-suite executives who are making these decisions today… decisions that will have a lasting impact on the steel industry for years to come.

Metalshub is a leading software provider for the raw materials industry, unlocking supply chain value for buyers and sellers of metals and minerals. By leveraging advanced technology and market expertise, Metalshub provides software solutions for buyers and sellers to connect, negotiate, and close transactions. With its innovative solutions, Metalshub empowers businesses to optimise supply chains, make informed decisions, and drive growth in the digital era.

The Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST) is a non-profit organisation with 16,600 members from more than 70 countries. With 29 Technology Committees representing all facets of the iron and steel manufacturing process and 22 Local Member Chapters spread across six continents, AIST represents an incomparable network of steel knowledge and expertise. AIST’s mission is to advance the technical development, production, processing and application of iron and steel in order to be a global leader in networking, education and sustainability programs for advancing iron and steel technology.