Tata Steel Nederland, a subsidiary of Indian steelmaker Tata Steel, has announced that it has joined the European research project Circular Steel for Mass Market Applications (CiSMA), which aims to develop high-grade steel produced entirely from recycled scrap using electric arc furnace (EAF) technology.
The initiative focuses on creating low-carbon steel suitable for applications including automotive manufacturing and household appliances such as washing machines.
A key objective of the CiSMA project is to achieve a 70 percent reduction in carbon emissions in sheet steel production through the use of:
- 100 percent recycled scrap,
- electric arc furnace steelmaking,
- circular production methods.
Although fully scrap-based steel production is not yet commercially feasible on a large scale, the project is expected to generate valuable knowledge for producing high-quality steel with 30-40 percent scrap content.
According to Tata Steel Nederland researcher Dr. Radhakanta Rana, the project aims to strengthen the European circular economy while supporting the company’s transition toward green steel production.
The project seeks to recover valuable critical raw materials such as copper from scrap streams.
Automotive and appliance industries involved
The CiSMA consortium includes industrial and research partners from across Europe, including Volvo Cars, Electrolux Professional, voestalpine. The companies are evaluating the commercial applicability of recycled steel in cars, washing machines, and industrial equipment.
The CiSMA project is coordinated by Eurecat in Spain and involves 13 partners from five European countries. The project has a total budget of nearly €4.5 million and is funded under the EU’s Horizon Europe program.