The iron and steel industry stands at the center of climate policies not only as one of the fundamental pillars of global industrial production, but also due to its high energy consumption and carbon emissions. While the European Green Deal, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and rising ESG requirements make sustainability and digital transformation imperative for the sector, the concept of green steel represents a holistic approach to production and management.
In this context, the EFRS 2026 International Iron and Steel Symposium, organized by the Metallurgy and Materials Engineers Training Center, will be held on 11–12 June 2026 at the İzmir Tepekule Convention Center under the motto “Digital Steel for a Greener World.” The symposium aims to bring together industry executives, producers, engineers, academics, and researchers to discuss current approaches to the green and digital transformation of the iron and steel industry.
EFRS’2026 Executive Committee Chair Fatih Keseroğlu stated that green steel is not a concept limited solely to low carbon emissions, but rather signifies a systematic transformation encompassing all stages of production. According to Keseroğlu, energy efficiency, effective use of resources, measurable management of emissions, and the strengthening of digital infrastructures are among the key factors determining the sector’s competitiveness. Big data, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics technologies stand out as the core components of this transformation.
Explaining the background of the motto “Digital Steel for a Greener World,” Keseroğlu noted that the iron and steel industry lies at the heart of many strategic sectors from construction and automotive to energy and machinery manufacturing but that sustainability and carbon reduction have now become processes that must be actively managed starting today due to the sector’s high energy intensity and carbon emissions. He added that the symposium will address topics such as the European Green Deal, challenges in raw material supply, the transformation of integrated plants, and the need for high quality raw materials, while also evaluating the impact of digitalization, big data, artificial intelligence, and robotic technologies on the sector.
Touching on the importance of the green steel concept, Keseroğlu emphasized that it is not a brand or a marketing expression. Instead, green steel represents a comprehensive approach that integrates energy efficiency, efficient use of raw materials and natural resources, emission management, waste reduction, and circular economy principles into production processes. He underlined that the most critical prerequisite for claiming green steel is measurability and verifiability, noting that structures unable to calculate product-based carbon footprints or reliably monitor emission data cannot credibly claim to produce green steel.
By bringing together academic knowledge and industrial practices, EFRS’2026 aims to contribute to the iron and steel industry’s progress toward a greener, more efficient, and more digital future.
Sourced by: Ekonomim
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