According to a foreign media report on March 25, the Brazilian Green Steel Company (Aço Verde do Brasil, hereinafter referred to as AVB), located in the northern state of Maranhao in Brazil, has recently obtained the carbon neutral certification of the Swiss General Notary Public (SGS), marking its It has reached an important pioneering node in green steel production.

AVB is an emerging steel company that relies on renewable energy and raw material recycling technology and uses eucalyptus charcoal to replace traditional coking coal production. The annual output of steel can reach 600,000 tons. According to the "Greenhouse Gas Protocol" certified by the World Steel Association and its accounting method, SGS inspected its total greenhouse gas emission inventory from 2018 to 2019 by monitoring the carbon dioxide emitted during the production and operation of AVB. It has been confirmed that the total amount of carbon dioxide released by AVB per ton of steel produced during this period was 0.06 to 0.10 tons, while the international average level for the same period was 1.81 to 1.83 tons.

In 2020, AVB's carbon emission reduction effect will be even more significant. It will emit approximately -0.04 tons of carbon dioxide per ton of steel produced, while the world's average carbon dioxide emissions per ton of steel will be 1.88 tons. "It can be seen that AVB has become the world's first carbon-neutral steel production company." The company spokesperson said.

In order to ensure the charcoal resources needed for its pig iron production, the company planted 50,000 hectares of eucalyptus forest as a reserve. However, some market stakeholders worry that the company's charcoal supply chain will generate potential carbon dioxide emissions, such as the carbonization of the wood itself and the carbon dioxide emissions generated during vehicle transportation.

AVB CEO Ricardo Carvalho (Ricardo Carvalho) said: “When we were studying the carbon dioxide mass balance principle of forest systems and calculating the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by trees through photosynthesis, we found that the total amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by eucalyptus forests It is higher than the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted in the supply chain. It is estimated that every 1 hectare of eucalyptus forest can absorb about 37 tons of carbon dioxide per year.” In addition, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the greenhouse gas accounting system have Approval of charcoal as a carbon-neutral raw material. The Brazilian Iron and Steel Association (Aço Brasil) also implemented the "Charcoal Sustainable Development Agreement" as early as 2012. The agreement stipulates that Brazilian steel producers can only maintain cooperation with charcoal suppliers with complete procedures and legal compliance. At the same time, it supports steel companies to develop plantations in Brazil and independently produce charcoal.

In order to achieve carbon neutrality as soon as possible, AVB has carried out a number of reform measures, such as the use of hydroelectric power plants to achieve renewable energy power generation, and the reuse of industrial waste gas from alkaline oxygen converters and iron blast furnaces. It also invested in the development of a patent-charcoal carbonization furnace, and plans to put it into testing at the end of 2021. After the successful test of this carbonization furnace, it will further reduce AVB's carbon dioxide emissions, while ensuring an adequate supply of its charcoal and effectively reducing its charcoal production costs.