The modern world uses shocking amounts of steel. In the US, we make roughly 575 pounds of steel per person per year. At the peak of US steelmaking in the late 1960s, it was closer to 1500 pounds per person, which is roughly how much China makes now.
An additional resource, written for a (primarily) eBook series, which is therefore useful as a starting point: A Profile of the Steel Industry: Global Reinvention for a New Economy, by Peter Warrian (Author) Second Kindle Edition, 2016. Peter came from a steel family in Hamilton, ON. He was the research director for the United Steel Workers prior to getting a PhD and a degree from the MIT Sloan School, so his book covers a lot of labor and policy issues, and not just the economics. Mea culpa: Peter and I co-authored a 2017 book in the same series on the global auto industry. Peter is a Member of the Order of Canada (cf. "Sir" in the UK).
Interesting article. Some critics argue against the green steel revolution, mainly stating that the projects announced as of yet are heavily reliant on subsidies, and that there are no reliable source of all the electricity needed. For instance, the two Hybrit and H2 Green Steel projects announced here in Sweden are projected to consume as much electricity as the whole of Finland, or twice the amount of electricity produced in Sweden today. Also, some economists argue that the cost of green steel will mean it will have a hard time to meet its customers, at least without a trade war and/or import restrictions from cheap fossile steel manufacturing countries. Would be interesting to read a take two on the future of steel making!
Got to see one of these close up. I drove a flatbed forty years ago OTR and used to pickup coils and flat stock from US Steel in Pa. I was in awe the first standing next to one.
Very interesting post. Wondering what are the characteristics of the types of steel that today can be effectively made in electric arc furnaces versus those that need to begin with a blast furnace? Is the coexistence of these technologies mainly a matter of raw material (or scrap material) availability & cost, or are there other factors.
It is very interesting article. Especially this sentence "But it’s also possible that the blast furnace was brought to Sweden from China via the Mongols". Did the Mongolians really invent the blast furnace?
Can you provide the source? Actually I'm metallurgical engineering from Mongolia. This part made a great impression on me.
An additional resource, written for a (primarily) eBook series, which is therefore useful as a starting point: A Profile of the Steel Industry: Global Reinvention for a New Economy, by Peter Warrian (Author) Second Kindle Edition, 2016. Peter came from a steel family in Hamilton, ON. He was the research director for the United Steel Workers prior to getting a PhD and a degree from the MIT Sloan School, so his book covers a lot of labor and policy issues, and not just the economics. Mea culpa: Peter and I co-authored a 2017 book in the same series on the global auto industry. Peter is a Member of the Order of Canada (cf. "Sir" in the UK).
"The blast furnace has been described as "one of the half-dozen fundamental machines of industrial civilization."
Would love to know what the other 5 machines are.
Interesting article. Some critics argue against the green steel revolution, mainly stating that the projects announced as of yet are heavily reliant on subsidies, and that there are no reliable source of all the electricity needed. For instance, the two Hybrit and H2 Green Steel projects announced here in Sweden are projected to consume as much electricity as the whole of Finland, or twice the amount of electricity produced in Sweden today. Also, some economists argue that the cost of green steel will mean it will have a hard time to meet its customers, at least without a trade war and/or import restrictions from cheap fossile steel manufacturing countries. Would be interesting to read a take two on the future of steel making!
One reference below (in Swedish): https://www.nationalekonomi.se/sites/default/files/2023/02/51-1-mhcs.pdf
Would be fascinating to do a post on your research library. Seems like you have some very cool books in your collection.
Got to see one of these close up. I drove a flatbed forty years ago OTR and used to pickup coils and flat stock from US Steel in Pa. I was in awe the first standing next to one.
Very interesting post. Wondering what are the characteristics of the types of steel that today can be effectively made in electric arc furnaces versus those that need to begin with a blast furnace? Is the coexistence of these technologies mainly a matter of raw material (or scrap material) availability & cost, or are there other factors.
Thank you for covering this topic, my first job was in an integrated steel making company and now I am into construction. I come from a country where new steel operations are being set up https://equalocean.com/news/2022102419070 and old ones are proving difficult to resuscitate https://www.sundaynews.co.zw/ziscosteel-what-went-wrong/
Many, many thanks!
It is very interesting article. Especially this sentence "But it’s also possible that the blast furnace was brought to Sweden from China via the Mongols". Did the Mongolians really invent the blast furnace?
Can you provide the source? Actually I'm metallurgical engineering from Mongolia. This part made a great impression on me.
Please contact me-