Steel is the world’s most commonly-used metal and plays a vital role in the global economy. It is made by smelting iron, a process which pumps large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere – and so its production is one of the contributors of global warming.
During COP26, the global United Nations summit held in Glasgow this year, climate change and how countries intend on tackling it was discussed. Near-zero emission steel is the preferred choice in global markets. Participating countries work to establish this type of steel production and make it the dominant way of producing steel by 2030. In Indonesia, Gunung Prisma, a steel distribution company led by Liwa Supriyanti, champions the use of Green Steel – making it an enterprise that contributes to the effort of sustainable manufacturing.
Metal’s Place in the World
Steel is a strong, high-quality, low cost material used in construction of buildings, making of transport (cars, trucks, trains, ships, planes), machines, electrical appliances, tools, weapons. It was developed by English inventor Henry Bessemer in the 1850s and is 1000 times stronger than iron. 1,864 million metric tons of crude steel was produced in 2020 and global steel production has tripled over the last 50 years. The industry has a $2.5 trillion turnover and creates employment for millions of people. Gunung Prisma distributes a variety of steel products such as flat steel products (sheets, plates, coils) and long steel products (re bars, bars, wire rods, structurals and rails).
The Cost of Steel Production on the Environment
Producing steel is energy intensive and requires high temperatures (and a lot of energy) to convert iron into steel. To obtain this energy, fossil fuels, mainly coal, are burned. The steel industry generates between 7 to 9% of direct emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the burning of fossil fuels. If steel were a nation, it would be the 5th largest producer of carbon emissions. One redeeming factor of steel production is that it can be recycled without losing its quality: on average, new steel products contain 30% recycled steel.
What is Green Steel?
Green Steel is steel with the lowest carbon footprint possible. It is made using hydrogen instead of coal and if industries make this switch, they are making significant strides towards reducing their emissions.
How is Liwa Supriyanti Paving the Way to A Greener Future
Liwa Supriyanti is a strong advocate of raising environmental awareness and uses her position as Director in Gunung Prisma to be a vehicle for change. She hopes to drive change and is in strong support of the government’s decision to achieve zero carbon emissions for steel production by 2050. The very real threat of endangering the planet and not being able to give future generations a planet Earth where plants and animals thrive, ignites the fire inside her to take major strides towards change.
With a degree in Economics and 19 years of experience in the Chemical & Steel Trading industry, she steers Gunung Prisma towards a direction of change. Liwa encourages clients to be proponents of the green commitment. By making considered strategic choices, such as choosing to go with only environmentally-responsible mills to provide the raw materials for production and engaging in CSR activity – Liwa is on the right track to deliver sustainable economic growth, environmental and social development.
Gunung Prisma drives environmental change
Gunung Prisma is a leading global company that provides holistic steel solutions and delivers superior value to customers and shareholders and strengthens the communities for the future. It collaborates with over 25 suppliers from Asian countries, including Singapore, Japan, and China – delivering value to clients and customers internationally. It manufactures green steel with a low carbon footprint, evaluating and adopting green technologies, all the while maintaining the tough balancing act of risk, capital cost and quality. It also maintains a continual effort to meet the expectations of shareholders and fulfil environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria.