£35m project to make steel smart, clean and green
Anew £35m Swansea University-led research network that is aiming to make steel manufacturing carbon-neutral by 2040 and significantly improve the sector’s productivity has been confirmed.
The network, called Sustain, will see Swansea partnering with the universities of Sheffield and Warwick. It also involves more than 20 partners across the UK steel industry. It has now been supported with a £10m investment from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council as it will be one of its future manufacturing research hubs. The rest of the funding will come from steel companies, trade bodies and the Wales Higher Education Fund.
It is the first time UK steel producers, including Tata, and representatives from the manufacturing sector have lined up behind a coordinated programme of research. It is also the largest ever single investment in steel research by a UK research council.
It is envisaged that Sustain will be the launchpad for even greater levels of research and innovation in making steel production smarter, cleaner and greener, drawing on expertise across UK academia and beyond.
Steel is already the world’s most recycled material, but the network will investigate new ways of making the industry’s processes and products even greener, such as harvesting untapped energy sources, capturing carbon emissions and reprocessing societal and industrial waste streams.
It aims to make the industry carbon-netural by 2040; double UK steel manufacturers’ gross value added (GVA) by 2030; boost jobs in the industry to 35,000; and increase productivity by 15%
Dr Cameron Pleydell-Pearce, steel expert at Swansea University and Sustain’s deputy director, said: “This news is a massive vote of confidence in the steel industry. It will support the industry’s vision for a responsible, innovative and creative future. We are already on the road to clean, green and smart steelmaking but this is another giant step forward. Research and innovation are the bedrock of a modern steel industry. This network represents almost the whole UK steel sector, with researchers and companies working together on an unprecedented scale. Here in Swansea we’re proud to lead it.”
Gareth Stace, UK Steel director general, said; “This new boost of innovation funding into the sector is a vital piece of the puzzle to help deliver our vision of a cuttingedge, vibrant and sustainable steel industry in the UK.
“The future success of our sector rests on our ability to remain at the forefront of product and process innovation, delivering the new steel products demanded by our customers and society. This new hub will enable us to do just that.”
Professor Mark Rainforth, of Sheffield University, said: “Steel is fundamental to every aspect of society. Developing higher-performance steels with reduced carbon footprint during manufacture is key to reducing CO2 emissions and therefore contributing to the reduction in global warming. This grant brings together all the UK experts in steel to address this critical issue”.
Professor Claire Davis, from WMG, University of Warwick, said: “The UK has a rich tradition of research excellence and innovation in steel metallurgy. Sustain will bring together leading research groups in this area, as well as introducing new expertise in big data and supply chain innovation, to work collaboratively with the UK industry.
“The network will be able to tackle the large issues facing the steel industry, particularly in becoming low-energy, carbonneutral, dynamic and responsive to customer needs.
“It is an exciting time to be working on steel, as there are opportunities to contribute to making the planet a greener place.”