Energy efficiency trends in steel industry

There is an apparent deterioration of energy efficiency in steel production since 2007 in 7 EU countries, as shown by the increase in the specific consumption per ton of steel: this is mainly a result of the deep recession in this sector due to the economic crisis. At EU level, the specific consumption of steel has slightly decreased since 2007.
Decrease in the specific consumption of steel over years in 5 EU MS (Poland, Austria, Italy, Spain, Czechia, Sweden).
Different performances, partly explained by the share of the electric process, the less intensive process, in steel production are visible across countries.

The energy performance of the steel industry should be considered in relation to the share of electric steel: the higher this ratio, the lower the specific consumption. In Slovenia and Portugal, all the steel is produced from the electric process, while in Italy and Spain, the share of this process is around 70-80%, which explains the low specific consumption.