Steel has changed our world like no other substance. New high performance steel allows a jet pilot to reach new heights…a surgeon to perform a delicate operation. It is the solid rocket booster casings that allow shuttle astronauts to explore new frontiers…and the roller coaster ridden by a child. Each piece of steel we make is engineered to fit precise specifications. It is an industry where product quantity is measured by the millions of tons, but quality is measured by the millionth of an inch.
That same utmost precision applies to the processes employed throughout today's steel plant. We are truly a high-tech industry, with automation and advanced technologies driving the way we do business. Some of the most advanced technologies available today are utilized throughout the steelmaking process, which enables the industry to maximize efficiency while minimizing the industry's environmental footprint.
Today, the American steel industry operates with the lowest energy consumption per ton of steel in the world.
The American steel industry has reduced its CO2 emissions per ton of steel shipped by 31 percent since 1990.
Because of the industry’s voluntary investments in R&D and resulting new technologies, American steelmaking processes are highly optimized. However, we are rapidly approaching the lowest reasonable energy consumption one can hope to attain for these processes.
New processes are developed which will revolutionize steelmaking and take advantage of alternative energy sources. We are actively investing in the AISI CO2 Breakthrough Program—R&D aimed at making steel that will dramatically reduce or eliminate CO2 emissions.