Energy and environmental profile of the U.S. iron and steel industry

The iron and steel industry, which accounts for between two and three percent of all energy consumed in this country, is also striving to improve its energy efficiency. The amount of energy required to produce a ton of steel has decreased by more than 40% since 1975. This reduction has been accomplished in part through adoption of more energy-efficient and productive processing steps. However, the capital to invest in new technologies is increasingly limited, especially as the costs of environmental control continue to rise. Other than foreign competition, the biggest challenge facing the industry today is compliance with environmental regulations. The Clean Air Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act have had significant impacts on the industry. Since 1970, the industry has invested approximately $6 billion in pollution control systems. The industry spent approximately $230 million in both 1993 and 1994 on capital expenditures for pollution abatement. In a typical year, 15% of the industry’s capital investments go to environmental projects. The industry faces even more challenges in the future as new, more stringent regulations are enacted. Topics covered here are: market trends and statistics; energy and materials consumption; and an environmental overview.