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Now a global competitor, Russula Group has designed 130 steel mills and industrial wastewater treatment plants in 35 countries around the world.
The European steel sector is the next big target. Management estimates that the European Union is short of about 10 million tonnes of steel each year. They believe Europe now has the know-how to lead in clean steel production both profitably and sustainably.
“This reindustrialization in the 21st century is absolutely sustainable, because the technologies that we Europeans have developed in recent years are completely environmentally friendly,” says Eva Maneior, CEO of Russula Group. “There’s no excuse. So, is it profitable? It’s very profitable.”
As an example, the company will soon begin construction on a new ultra-efficient Clean Steel plant in central Spain. The initial investment is 1.6 billion euros. The main raw material is scrap iron. The factory will run on renewable energy, including green hydrogen. Management claims that the steel produced here emits 98% less CO2 than a regular steel mill.
“Currently, we believe that the steel industry accounts for almost 10% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions, so we understand that there is a strong need to start transitioning and use these new technologies that can save millions of tonnes of CO2,” said Fernando Pessagna, Chief Strategy Officer at Hydenham Steel. “For example, the amount of CO2 we are avoiding at our facility is comparable to the emissions of all the cars in an entire city like Madrid. So this is a huge amount, and driving the green transition is paramount.”
They hope to produce 1.6 million tonnes of flat rolled steel products in the first phase, eventually doubling production. Management claims that about 1,000 direct jobs will be created once the factory is fully operational, with thousands more indirect jobs in the pipeline.
Sustainable innovation is key to ensuring the future competitiveness of the European steel industry, the executives conclude here.
“Sectors such as automotive, infrastructure and renewable energy are already decarbonizing, and this requires decarbonizing the entire value chain, all production processes,” said Daniel Sanchez, chief operating officer at Luthra Group. “Steel has a very important role to play and it all comes down to decarbonization along the supply chain.”
60% of the company’s employees are engineers. They are giving final finishing details for a new steel mill plant while working on many other projects around the world.
