Steel is the metal civilization is built from. ~1.89 Gt of crude steel were produced in 2024 — roughly 20× the mass of all non-ferrous metals combined. This page walks all three production routes (BF-BOF integrated, EAF scrap-based, DRI / H₂-DRI emerging), the scrap loop, end-use breakdown, and the carbon footprint of each path. Every figure links to its primary source.
The world's 1.89 Gt of crude steel splits across three core routes. BF-BOF dominates by volume but carries the highest carbon footprint. EAF is the established lower-carbon path. H₂-DRI is the deep-decarbonisation frontier.
Blast Furnace + Basic Oxygen Furnace. Coke + iron ore + flux in a blast furnace produce ~1.4 Gt/yr of pig iron (95% Fe + ~4% C). BOF then blows oxygen through molten pig iron + scrap to oxidise carbon down to specification — the world's largest tonnage steelmaking process.
Electric Arc Furnace melts steel scrap (with optional DRI/HBI charge) using graphite electrodes drawing 60-100 MW per furnace. Faster, more flexible, lower CapEx, and lower carbon — but limited by scrap availability and electricity grid carbon intensity.
Direct Reduced Iron: pellet reduced with natural gas (Midrex, HYL-Energiron) at ~850-1000 °C without melting. Produces sponge iron or Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) used as virgin-iron unit charge for EAFs. Today the largest low-carbon iron-making route; concentrated in gas-rich regions (Middle East, USA, India, Russia, Mexico).
Hydrogen Direct Reduced Iron: replaces natural gas with green or low-carbon hydrogen as the reductant. The deep-decarbonisation frontier. First commercial plants commissioning: HYBRIT (SSAB/LKAB/Vattenfall, Sweden), H2 Green Steel/Stegra (Sweden), ArcelorMittal Sestao & Gijon (Spain), thyssenkrupp tkH2Steel (Germany).
From iron ore to recycled scrap, the seven stages of the steel chain with the largest figure and primary source for each.
| Stage | Largest figure (2024) | Primary source |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Iron ore mining Haematite (Fe₂O₃) and magnetite (Fe₃O₄). Top: Australia, Brazil, China, India, Russia. |
~2.5 Gt iron ore | USGS MCS 2026 — Iron Ore |
| 2. Beneficiation Pellet (65-67% Fe), sinter feed (58-62% Fe), DSO (62-65% Fe). Bentonite-bonded green pellets fired at ~1300 °C. |
~470 Mt pellets · ~1.1 Gt sinter | WSA World Steel in Figures |
| 3. Ironmaking Pig iron from blast furnace (BF) + DRI/HBI from gas or hydrogen direct reduction. |
~1.4 Gt pig iron · ~0.13 Gt DRI | WSA Annual Production Statistics |
| 4. Steelmaking BOF (basic oxygen furnace) for integrated route; EAF (electric arc) for scrap/DRI route. AOD & VOD for stainless. |
~1.89 Gt crude steel | WSA |
| 5. Casting & rolling Continuous-cast slab/bloom/billet. Hot-rolled coil (HRC) is the largest single product (~57%). Cold-rolled (CRC), galvanised, painted. |
HRC ~57% · long products ~28% · CRC/coated ~15% | WSA Top Producers |
| 6. End-use Construction is dominant. Automotive and mechanical equipment are the largest manufactured-product segments. |
Construction ~52% · Mechanical ~16% · Auto ~12% · Metal products ~10% · Transport ~5% | WSA Steel Use by Sector |
| 7. Recycling EAF route uses ~100% scrap; BF-BOF uses up to ~25% scrap charge. Steel is the most-recycled material on earth by mass. |
~85% EOL-RR · ~32% global scrap input share | WSA Sustainability, BIR Ferrous Scrap |
Steel accounts for ~7-9% of global CO₂ emissions. The route mix is the lever. Figures are scope 1+2 cradle-to-crude-steel; ranges reflect grid mix, scrap share, and best-available technology.
Sources: IEA Iron & Steel Roadmap (system boundaries vary); WSA CO₂ Data Collection; Mission Possible Partnership Steel Sector Strategy.
Top ten producers concentrate ~30% of world output. China Baowu and ArcelorMittal are perennial #1 and #2; the remainder of the top-10 are mostly Chinese plus Nippon Steel, POSCO, JFE, and Tata Steel.
| Rank | Company | Country | Crude steel (Mt, 2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China Baowu | China | ~130 |
| 2 | ArcelorMittal | Luxembourg / multinational | ~65 |
| 3 | Ansteel Group | China | ~55 |
| 4 | Nippon Steel | Japan | ~45 |
| 5 | HBIS Group | China | ~40 |
| 6 | Jianlong Group | China | ~37 |
| 7 | Shagang Group | China | ~37 |
| 8 | POSCO | South Korea | ~37 |
| 9 | Tata Steel Group | India | ~31 |
| 10 | JFE Steel | Japan | ~26 |
Source: WSA Top Steel-Producing Companies. Figures are approximate — final WSA ranking published mid-year.
Steel is not just iron. Each tonne typically carries ~0.4-1.5% of alloying elements: Mn (every grade), Cr + Ni (stainless), Mo (alloy & HSS), V (HSLA), W (tool), Si (electrical steel), Nb (microalloy). Each metal's page shows the steel share of its end-use.
Open iron ore page →Steelmaking is the downstream pillar applied to iron. Iron-ore mining sits in upstream; ironmaking (BF / DRI) and BOF/EAF sit in midstream; rolling & coating sit in downstream; scrap collection is recycling. The chain is closed, not linear — ~32% of steel input is scrap today, rising to >50% by 2050 under WSA scenarios.
Open the chain landing →