Tata Steel Nederland is participating in the European research project CiSMA (Circular Steel for Mass Market Applications). The project aims to develop high-grade steel types produced entirely from recycled scrap using Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) technology. The objective is to advance circular value chains in the European steel industry and to provide insights that can be applied in the production of sheet steel for sectors such as automotive and household appliances.
Dr. Radhakanta Rana, metallurgist at Tata Steel Nederland, is involved in the project as a researcher. He explains: "The knowledge we gain together will help strengthen the European circular economy. In addition, we can apply the insights we acquire in our own journey toward green steel, in which we will increasingly use scrap for the production of high-quality steel."
CO₂ Reduction Targets and Scrap Use
A central research goal of CiSMA is to achieve an overall reduction of 70% in CO₂ emissions in sheet steel production through the use of 100% scrap and EAF technology. The use of 100% scrap in steel production is not yet a realistic scenario and depends on factors such as scrap availability. Participation in the research nevertheless provides insights for producing high-grade steel containing 30 to 40% scrap.
Machine Learning for Scrap Treatment
Machine Learning and digital models are being used to examine the extent to which contaminated scrap can be cleaned for optimal reuse. This requires the removal of unwanted elements from the scrap. Dr. Rana: "If we succeed, this will be a real win-win, also because of the critical raw materials such as copper, we will be able to recover."
Industrial Application in Automotive and Laundry Equipment
In addition to universities and research institutes, CiSMA brings together commercial partners from various sectors, including automotive, professional laundry equipment and engineering. Volvo Cars and Electrolux Professional are researching the commercial applicability of recycled steel in cars and washing machines, with the aim of strengthening a circular approach and reducing CO₂ impact. The guiding principle is that this circular steel offers the same properties and performance as conventionally produced high-grade steel.
Dr. Johan Pilthammar, Engineering Technical Specialist at Volvo Cars, comments: "It's very important for Volvo Cars to understand if, and how, a higher recycled content is influencing the steel's behaviour. This project is of high value for us since it will verify that this assumption holds for the investigated steel grades in the forming process. Also, if we see differences with a higher recycled content, we will learn how to adapt to these changes."
Andrea Caputo, Sustainability Director BA Laundry at Electrolux Professional, states: "Electrolux Professional remains wholly committed to reducing the climate change impact of our industrial operations. Steel is a key material in our production process and exploring innovative ways of introducing a greater level of circularity is of significant strategic importance to reducing our upstream Scope 3 emissions." He adds: "The CiSMA project has the potential to deliver truly game-changing results, and we are excited to participate in what is likely to be a landmark pilot test."
Project Structure and Funding
CiSMA is coordinated by Eurecat (Spain) and comprises 13 partners from five countries, including voestalpine, Volvo Cars, Electrolux Professional, RISE, Blekinge Institute of Technology, ALBA Synchrotron, Aerobase Innovations, the European Steel Technology Platform ESTEP, CSIC, the University of Liège and Tata Steel Nederland. The project has a total budget of nearly €4.5 million and is funded through the EU's Horizon Europe programme.
