STEEL PRODUCTION AND SUSTAINABILITY

The iron and steel industry is considered one of the most ancient activity of the human history, occupying a strategic and fundamental role for the development of the world economy. Its productive processes allow possible industrial synergies because of an efficient use of the resources, materials and energy, through the exploitation of scraps coming from other productive cycles, of by-products produced and energy/heat recovery. Even if multiple recycling is an important aspect of steel production, it generates pollution; it requires a high consume of energy; furthermore, it constitutes a serious problem adversely affecting public health. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the sustainability of the steel production of a plant located in the province of Udine (Italy). According to the Directive 2010/75/EC, related to the industrial emissions of the “cast iron and steel production”, and by the adoption of best practices, the plant is able to take care of the environment reducing the pollution.