Global scrap availability expected to grow in next 30 years

According to an interesting article recently published by the World Steel Association, the global scrap availability will grow up by more than 500 Mt in the next 30 years, from the 750 Mt of 2017 to 1.3 billion tonnes in 2050.

China, estimated to reach 400 Mt of scrap availability by 2050, will be leading this growth. India and the ASEAN region (Southeast Asian Nations) will follow doubling their availability within the next 15 years. Scrap availability is expected to grow also in the rest of the world even if at a very reduced rate in comparison to the developing parts of the planet (only +30 Mt by 2030).

What could the consequences be?
The expectations are positive. Currently, China's steel production is based only for the 6% on scrap-only technology, namely electric arc furnaces (EAF). A relatively low figure considering the data reaches 45% in the rest of the world. The growth of scrap availability and the application of new environmental measures will certainly bring the country, but also the rest of the world, to increasingly focus on EAF; thereby replacing natural resources by steel scrap, conserving raw materials, energy, and reducing CO2 emissions.