Circular Economy initiatives and solutions in the steel sector

The concept of Circular Economy (CE) is at the backbone of the steel industry, as part of its production is obtained by re-melting and transforming steel from end-of-life goods.CE also entails design of steel products with durability and longevity in mind, waste minimization at every stage of the value chain, and improved recycling and waste management practices.Nowadays circularity encompasses not only secondary raw materials and residues, but also other streams, such as energy carriers and water, and can be implemented in cooperation with other industrial sectors also through Industrial Symbiosis (IS) solutions.The advantages of CE in terms of resource conservation and energy efficiency are widely recognized and lead to considerable economic and environmental benefits.While CE adoption is gaining momentum, the steel sector is committed to face existing challenges related, for instance, to the need for updated infrastructures, lack of homogeneity in regulations concerning residues across Europe, upscaling and full deployment of novel technologies.However, this shift toward circularity represents a promising avenue for creating a more sustainable and responsible steel industry that aligns with global efforts to combat climate change and reduce the environmental footprint of industrial processes.The European Steel Technology Platform (ESTEP) is highly involved in supporting CE actions in the steelmaking sector and promoting IS, and believes in the potential of knowledge dissemination and discussions between experts.For this reason, ESTEP organized its annual event in autumn 2023 focusing it on CE.This 3 days long event, entitled "A Circular Economy driven by European Steel" was hosted by CELSA Group in Barcelona (Spain).The first day was dedicated to a visit to CELSA's facilities, while in the other two days a total of 33 presentations, opening and keynote lectures were provided by expert researchers from steelmaking, equipment and technology providers, feedstocks suppliers, research centers and academia.A total of 7 sessions were held, where the audience had the