Swiss Steel forges supply bond with tool maker

Switzerland-based electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaker Swiss Steel Group says reduced amounts of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by its steel have allowed it to become a preferred supplier to Germany-based pliers maker Knipex.

"Sustainability has always played an important role in our 140-year-old family business,” Knipex managing partner Ralf Putsch says. “As a company, we live from the conditions and resources that we share responsibility for preserving. We are part of the environment and society, to whose improvement we want to make an active contribution.”

A 2021 audit of Swiss Steel's operations show its use of scrap metal feedstock led to what it considers a favorable result and is a core part of its sustainability commitment.

Knipex, meanwhile, has set a goal of halving its GHG emissions by 2030 compared with 2020, according to Swiss Steel.

When making a pair of pliers, more than half the GHG emissions are generated are Scope 3, which also includes the emissions of externally sourced raw materials, Swiss Steel says. Much of that is attributable to the steel used.

“In addition to investments in state-of-the-art plant technology and the implementation of optimization potential in production and logistics, Knipex relies on the use of climate-optimized raw materials to achieve its climate targets,” adds Swiss Steel, which also operates two EAF facilities in North America.

"The emissions of a ton of Green Steel Climate+ crude steel are around 98 percent below the industry mix,” Swiss Steel says of its product, noting its "outstanding value" in terms of CO₂ footprint.

In addition to using the scrap-fed EAF process, Swiss Steel says it also uses only renewable energy when making Green Steel Climate+, tapping into hydroelectric.

Starting in December of last year, Knipex became the first tool manufacturer to purchase Green Steel Climate+ from the Swiss Steel Group.

“We are very pleased about this partnership with such a long-standing and successful customer as Knipex,” Swiss Steel Group CEO Frank Koch says. “Supporting our customers’ climate goals with our products is more than just a concern for us. We see the decarbonization of the steel industry not only as a legal mandate but also as our social obligation.”