Reducing Emissions

Due to the carbon-intensive process of steelmaking, high levels of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2), remains one of the greatest challenges that the industry faces in achieving controlled emission and sustainable operations. The International Energy Agency (IEA) notes that as global steel production increases, sustained and substantial efforts to cut emissions are of paramount importance in order to prevent the exponential growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This is achieved by prioritizing energy-efficiency improvements, increasing scrap collection, and adopting new technologies that favor low-carbon process routes. As a responsible corporate of the State of Qatar and as part of the global industrial community, Qatar Steel is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and implementing industry best practices in order to fight climate change.

As part of a new project which was initiated in January 2020, Qatar Steel has started a different system for calculating GHG emissions for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. Scope 1 emissions include direct emissions at the plant (fuel combustion, materials process etc.); Scope 1 emissions from natural gas is calculated by using emission factors developed from the gas characteristics, while the emissions from materials process are calculated based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and EU Emissions Trading System emission factors. Scope 2 emissions covers indirect emissions from the electricity which is consumed, and is calculated using Kahramaa’s emission factors provided by QP. QP has appointed SGS, UK as the third-party verifier for the GHG report verification and Qatar Steel has successfully completed the initial verification process in November 2020 and received the verification certificates from SGS, UK.

The average GHG emission from Scope 1 and Scope 2 has been found to be around ~1.25-1.30 MT CO2/MT steel
production which is quite below the world average of 1.85 (according to World Steel Association standards).

*Please see the certificate link below for more information:
https://www.qatarsteel.com.qa/certifications/

Other Air Emissions

Qatar Steel has two MIDREX based Direct Reduction Plants, three electric arc furnaces, two rolling mills and two lime calcination plants. The plants are run on electric power supplied by the local electricity distributing entity, KAHRAMAA and natural gas supplied by Qatar Petroleum. The use of cleaner energy sources reduces the pollutants emissions substantially.

In order to check the environmental emissions, Qatar Steel carries out regular environmental monitoring such as continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (AAQM), monthly ambient air quality monitoring at different locations by third party, CEMS monitoring, manual stacks monitoring where CEMS is not installed, ground water quality monitoring, process water discharge, noise etc. Further, all the emission sources are equipped with pollution control measures such as bag house filters (at electric arc furnaces and furnaces at Kilns), cyclone dust collectors and wet venturis (at Direct Reduction Plants). In addition to the pollution control measures at the point air emission sources, there are control units for fugitive air emissions such as closed conveyer belts, hoppers, suction hoods etc.

The monitoring results are quarterly shared with the QP-MIC and MME (regulatory authorities). External and internal audits are carried out routinely to ensure that the monitoring and environmental management systems are working as per regulatory and best practice requirements.