Sustainable housebuilding: thyssenkrupp Materials Processing Europe supplies profile manufacturer Gebhardt-Stahl with CO2-reduced bluemint steel

[*]Processing specialist launches new product carbon footprint calculator for the first time on the market

• Full transparency on CO2e footprint from production to delivery 

House construction has great potential to protect the climate. According to UN estimates, the construction and building sector causes 38% of global CO2 emissions. In addition to the use of energy, the choice of materials plays a key role. This is exactly where the Gebhardt-Stahl company comes in: The expert for steel profiles from Werl relies on the expertise of thyssenkrupp – and has thyssenkrupp Materials Processing Europe supply it with customized, CO2e-reduced slit strip. In addition, thyssenkrupp Materials Processing Europe calculates the exact CO2e footprint of the material from production to delivery for its customer.

The bluemint® recycled starting material from thyssenkrupp Steel Europe is of particular importance in this project: Thanks to modified input materials, the product can show a reduction in CO2e emissions of over 60%. In addition, the steel is characterized by a high recycled content. The reduced value of the starting material’s CO2 emissions as a result of the more environmentally friendly production is incorporated in the model for calculating the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) at thyssenkrupp Materials Processing Europe, which is unique on the market to date.

Product Carbon Footprint – transparency and individual calculation according to recognized standards

The PCF calculator calculates the exact CO2e emissions for each product from production to delivery. For each article, it is thus possible to transparently show all steps from production to delivery, storage and processing to delivery to the customer in terms of greenhouse gas impact. This means that all data along the entire supply chain to the customer, the so-called "cradle to gate" approach, is taken into account.

"As a partner to the construction industry, we are increasingly focusing on CO2e-reduced steels for our profiles, which in further processing contribute to climate-friendly house construction. The fact that we now have transparency on the CO2e footprint of the starting material we are using for the first time, raises awareness for the conscious procurement of environmentally friendly materials in the direction of climate neutrality," says Dirk Thörner, Managing Director at Gebhardt-Stahl.

The sophisticated calculation logic of the PCF calculator has been certified by the international classification society DNV and is being used for the first time in the delivery to Gebhardt-Stahl. "With the data from the calculations, our customers have exact initial values for their own PCF calculations. This new transparency across our entire supply chain means we can now work with our partners to make our value-adding processes as climate-friendly as possible in the future," explains Marcus Wöhl, CEO at thyssenkrupp Materials Processing Europe.

Gebhardt Stahl is a manufacturer of profiles and supplies accessories for air conditioning and ventilation technology, reinforcing profiles for window and door systems, fence posts and vineyard posts as well as a wide range of special profiles as a construction material for numerous applications.

As a leading steel and aluminum service center, thyssenkrupp Materials Processing Europe serves processors from the automotive, electrical, construction and furniture industries at twelve locations in six countries. With its many years of expertise in procurement, consulting and prefabrication, the processing specialist provides tailored services and digital solutions for flat steel and nonferrous metals to its diverse customer base throughout Europe.