Speaker
Description
The steel industry is under simultaneous pressure to reduce costs and to decarburize, ideally without major capital investment. CBMM has developed a Total Cost of Operation (TCO) approach, and a supporting calculator, that reframes how alloy design decisions are made: shifting the focus from the narrow "price per tonne of ferroalloy" to the full economic and environmental cost across the entire steelmaking chain.
The concept is deceptively simple. Partially replacing manganese with an ultra-low addition of niobium, on the order of 0.01%, a replacement ratio of roughly 1 part niobium to 30–50 parts manganese, preserves, and often improves, mechanical properties through grain refinement. The accompanying reduction in manganese lowers the steel's tapping temperature, and that single change cascades into measurable savings throughout the melt shop: reduced ferroalloy and aluminium consumption, longer refractory life, lower electricity and electrode use, higher metallic yield, and in many cases the elimination of the vacuum degassing step. Steel quality improves in parallel, with lower phosphorus, hydrogen and nitrogen levels, reduced centreline segregation and improved consistency of mechanical properties.
Critically, these gains require no capital expenditure and deliver CO₂ reductions across Scopes 1, 2 and 3, reinforced by niobium's exceptionally low global warming footprint among ferroalloys. This low carbon footprint is closely linked to CBMM's integrated production model and its continuous pursuit of operational excellence, innovation and resource efficiency across the value chain. Beyond emissions reduction, CBMM adopts a comprehensive sustainability approach that includes responsible water stewardship, waste minimization and resource optimization, as well as a strong commitment to employee well-being, safety and the development of local communities. These efforts are supported by a robust governance framework, internationally recognized certifications, and a culture of ethics, transparency and stakeholder engagement.
This presentation introduces the TCO methodology and calculator as a practical, data-driven pathway for steelmakers to reduce costs and carbon emissions while supporting broader sustainability objectives.