Ship recycling as a strategic resource

Steel is one of the cornerstones of European industry. However, around five percent of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU are generated in steel mills, which significantly increases the pressure to act on decarbonization. An important lever for this transformation is the higher use of steel scrap. While scrap demand in Europe will increase significantly in the coming years, the amount of high-quality scrap available today is not sufficient to meet the expected demand in industrial applications. In this mixed situation, a raw material stream that has received little attention so far comes into play: disused ships. The report "Scrap steel at sea: How ship recycling can help decarbonise European steel production" by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, Sandbag and the University of Tuscia highlights the strategic role this scrap stream could play and how untapped potential can be unlocked.