The European Commission has proposed the Net-Zero Industry Act to scale up manufacturing of clean technologies in the EU. The act will strengthen the competitiveness of net-zero technologies manufacturing in the EU and make the energy system more sustainable. It will also create better conditions to set up net-zero projects in Europe and attract investments. In addition, the commission has adopted the Critical Raw Materials Act to ensure the EU's access to a secure sustainable supply of critical raw materials.
“Steel is essential for a climate-neutral economy. More than 74 million tons of additional steel production will be required just for reaching the EU renewables targets. This is why we ask for a more encompassing EU industrial policy with a stronger value chain-based approach, also putting steelmakers in a position of investing in green technologies, while staying competitive at the global level,” Axel Eggert, director general of the European Steel Association (EUROFER), said regarding the Net-zero Industry Act.
Regarding the Critical Raw Materials Act, Mr. Eggert stated that, with the transition to green steel, the EU’s scrap needs will drastically increase with shortages expected before 2030 and he repeated EUROFER’s request for scrap to be included in the list of critical raw materials.
