Nucor introduces net-zero carbon steel products

Nucor Corp., headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, has launched Econiq, its brand of net-zero carbon steel products. The electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaker says the brand, which is available across its product lines, is intended to assure its consumers that they are purchasing steel products with the lowest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by using scrap and renewable energy in their production as well as carbon offsets.

"The green economy is being built on steel, and Nucor is proving that it can be produced in a sustainable way that can help the world meet its climate goals," Leon Topalian, president and CEO of Nucor, says in a news release announcing Econiq. "For more than 50 years, Nucor has been built on a sustainable model of recycling steel to produce new steel and steel products. The addition of Econiq is a logical extension to our innovation legacy in the steel industry. Further, we are pleased to announce that General Motors, an iconic American manufacturer, will be Nucor's first customer for Econiq beginning in the first quarter of 2022."

Shilpan Amin, GM vice president of Global Purchasing and Supply Chain, says, "We commend Nucor for their commitment to net-zero carbon steel solutions and look forward to working with them to utilize their innovative Econiq steel in our vehicles. It brings GM one step closer to its vision of a zero-emissions future. General Motors is excited to be Nucor's first customer for Econiq as we work to integrate sustainability into all aspects of our supply chain."

Nucor says all the steel GM purchases from Nucor is projected to be net carbon neutral by the end of 2022.

Nucor's use of scrap-based EAF technology at its 24 U.S. steel mills enables the company to operate at 70 percent below the current GHG intensity for the steel industry and meet the most aggressive emission intensity benchmarks that are part of the Paris Climate Agreement, according to the company. Econiq also will be produced using 100 percent renewable electricity, while high-quality carbon offsets will negate any remaining Scope 1 and 2 emissions, Nucor adds.

The Econiq brand will be available across the complete line of Nucor steelmaking products, though initial quantities will be limited. Nucor says it expects immediate interest from automotive and construction customers and from across the renewable energy and infrastructure sectors.