While numbers like Europe's steel output falling by 4.7% in 2022 and a sector responsible for 104 million tons of CO2 emissions paint a challenging picture, a deeper dive into production, trade, and employment data reveals an industry in a pivotal and dynamic transition.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the European Union produced 136.3 million metric tons of crude steel, marking a 4.7% decrease from 2021
- Germany's crude steel production in 2023 reached 35.8 million metric tons, accounting for 28.4% of total EU output
- Italy's steel production volume in Q4 2023 was 6.8 million tons, down 12% year-over-year due to high energy costs
- EU apparent steel consumption in 2023 was 132.4 million tons, up 1.2% from 2022 despite recession fears
- Germany's steel use in construction sector reached 18.5 million tons in 2022
- Italy's automotive steel consumption was 12.1 million tons in 2023, down 5% due to EV transition
- EU steel exports to non-EU countries reached 37.2 million tons in 2023, up 2.5% from 2022
- Germany's steel exports totaled 22.4 million tons in 2023, with 45% to EU partners
- Italy imported 21.8 million tons of steel products in 2022, 60% semi-finished from Asia
- EU employment in steel industry was 328,000 direct jobs in 2022, down 2% from 2021
- Germany's steel sector employed 152,000 workers in 2023, with 25% in R&D roles
- Italy had 38,500 steelworkers in 2022, facing 5% layoffs due to energy crisis
- EU steel CO2 emissions totaled 104 million tons in 2022, 7% of industrial emissions
- Germany's steel industry emitted 32.5 million tons CO2 in 2023, targeting 30% cut by 2030
- EU blast furnace CO2 intensity was 1.85 tons per ton steel in 2022, vs global 1.92
Europe's steel industry shrank in 2023, with production down and a difficult shift toward green operations underway.
Consumption
- EU apparent steel consumption in 2023 was 132.4 million tons, up 1.2% from 2022 despite recession fears
- Germany's steel use in construction sector reached 18.5 million tons in 2022
- Italy's automotive steel consumption was 12.1 million tons in 2023, down 5% due to EV transition
- EU steel demand from machinery sector fell 4.3% to 22.7 million tons in 2023
- France's domestic steel consumption stabilized at 11.9 million tons in 2022
- Spain's steel use in energy sector grew 8% to 4.2 million tons in 2023 amid renewables boom
- Poland's total steel consumption hit 14.3 million tons in 2023, driven by infrastructure projects
- EU metal packaging steel demand was 5.6 million tons in 2022
- Netherlands steel consumption in shipbuilding reached 1.8 million tons in 2023
- Belgium's steel use declined 6.2% to 3.9 million tons in 2023 post-auto slowdown
- Austria's construction steel demand was 4.1 million tons in 2022
- EU steel intensity of GDP was 28.5 kg per 1000 EUR in 2023, down from 32 kg in 2019
- Sweden's steel consumption for appliances was 1.2 million tons in 2023
- Romania's infrastructure steel use surged 15% to 3.8 million tons in 2022
- EU Q1 2024 steel consumption forecast at 31.2 million tons, flat YoY
- Czech Republic steel demand in automotive was 5.4 million tons in 2023
- EU domestic appliance steel use fell to 4.8 million tons in 2023
- Portugal's steel consumption totaled 2.7 million tons in 2022
- Hungary's engineering sector steel demand was 2.9 million tons in 2023
- EU steel stock changes contributed -2.1 million tons to consumption in 2023
- Greece's steel use in metal goods was 1.5 million tons in 2022
- Finland's steel consumption for pulp/paper machinery was 0.9 million tons in 2023
Consumption Interpretation
The EU steel industry in 2023, while navigating an automotive slump and general economic jitters, proved itself as stubbornly resilient as its own product, with overall demand still creeping upward thanks to a renewable energy and infrastructure building boom in places like Spain and Poland.
Employment
- EU employment in steel industry was 328,000 direct jobs in 2022, down 2% from 2021
- Germany's steel sector employed 152,000 workers in 2023, with 25% in R&D roles
- Italy had 38,500 steelworkers in 2022, facing 5% layoffs due to energy crisis
- EU steel jobs in blast furnace operations totaled 85,000 in 2023, targeted for reskilling
- France's steel employment fell to 29,000 in 2023 from ArcelorMittal and Aperam sites
- Spain's steel industry supported 42,000 direct jobs in 2022, plus 150,000 indirect
- Poland employed 50,200 in steel production in 2023, with union density at 65%
- Belgium's steel workforce was 22,000 in 2022 at Duferco and NLMK
- Netherlands Tata Steel IJmuiden had 8,900 employees in 2023 amid green transition
- Austria's Voestalpine employed 51,000 group-wide in 2022, 20,000 in steelmaking
- Sweden's steel jobs totaled 14,500 in 2023, with high female participation at 28%
- Romania's steel employment was 18,300 in 2022 at Tenaris and Liberty Galați
- Average EU steelworker hourly labor cost was 38.2 EUR in 2023, highest in Belgium at 52 EUR
- Czech Republic steel sector had 25,000 jobs in 2023, focused on Třinecké železárny
- EU steel apprenticeships numbered 12,000 in 2022 under dual system
- Portugal's steel employment stabilized at 7,200 in 2023 post-Mota-Engil acquisition
- Hungary employed 9,500 in steel in 2022, with automation reducing 3% YoY
- Greece's steel jobs recovered to 4,100 in 2023 with Sidma operations
- Finland's SSAB and Outokumpu employed 12,000 steelworkers in 2022
- EU steel R&D staff reached 25,000 in 2023, investing 1.2 billion EUR annually
- Slovakia's U.S. Steel Kosice had 13,500 employees in 2023
Employment Interpretation
The European steel industry is a fascinating alloy of pride and pressure, where a shrinking core of high-cost, highly-skilled jobs—from Germany's R&D labs to Poland's unionized plants—is being forged anew by green transitions and energy crises, leaving every nation grappling to balance its industrial heritage with an automated future.
Environment
- EU steel CO2 emissions totaled 104 million tons in 2022, 7% of industrial emissions
- Germany's steel industry emitted 32.5 million tons CO2 in 2023, targeting 30% cut by 2030
- EU blast furnace CO2 intensity was 1.85 tons per ton steel in 2022, vs global 1.92
- Italy recycled 82% of steel scrap in EAF production in 2023, saving 14 million tons CO2
- EU steel sector water usage averaged 1.2 m³ per ton produced in 2022
- France's steel decarbonization roadmap aims for 55% CO2 reduction by 2030 via EAF
- Spain's H2 Green Steel project in Boden to produce 2.5 Mt zero-carbon steel by 2026
- EU steel energy intensity improved 12% to 18.5 GJ/ton since 2015 in 2023
- Poland's steel plants captured 1.1 million tons CO2 in 2022 via CCUS pilots
- EU recycled 120 million tons steel scrap in 2023, 86% recovery rate
- Netherlands Tata Steel reduced NOx emissions 40% to 12 kg/ton in 2023 upgrades
- Belgium's steel SOx emissions fell 95% since 1990 to 0.3 kg/ton in 2022
- Sweden's HYBRIT project produced fossil-free steel with 80% less CO2 in 2023 trials
- EU steel ETS costs reached 4.2 billion EUR in 2023, passed to consumers 70%
- Austria's electric steelmaking share at 65% yielded 0.45 tCO2/t in 2022
- EU hydrogen-ready blast furnaces numbered 5 in 2023, injecting 15% H2
- Romania's steel dust recycling rate hit 92% in 2023, recovering 1.2 Mt metals
- Czech Republic steel PM emissions reduced 25% to 0.15 kg/ton in 2022
- EU steel biogas usage grew 22% to 1.5 million tons oil equiv in 2023
- Portugal's electric arc furnaces used 620 kWh/ton electricity in 2022
- EU steel biodiversity initiatives covered 15,000 ha land in 2023
- Hungary's Dunaferr plant lowered dust emissions 18% to 0.22 kg/ton in 2023
- Greece's steel sector wastewater reuse rate was 78% in 2022
- Finland's SSAB carbon capture pilot sequestered 100,000 tons CO2 in 2023
- EU steel green electricity procurement was 35% of total in 2023, up from 22% 2020
Environment Interpretation
Europe's steel industry is engaged in a breathtakingly expensive, multi-front war against its own pollution, where the arsenal includes everything from scrap-eating electric arc furnaces and hydrogen experiments to carbon capture and passing a hefty 4.2 billion euro bill largely to consumers.
Production
- In 2022, the European Union produced 136.3 million metric tons of crude steel, marking a 4.7% decrease from 2021
- Germany's crude steel production in 2023 reached 35.8 million metric tons, accounting for 28.4% of total EU output
- Italy's steel production volume in Q4 2023 was 6.8 million tons, down 12% year-over-year due to high energy costs
- EU-27 pig iron production in 2022 totaled 76.2 million tons, with a reliance on blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace route at 58%
- Spain contributed 13.7% of EU steel production in 2023 with 11.2 million tons from integrated and electric arc furnaces
- France's crude steel output fell to 11.8 million tons in 2022, impacted by ArcelorMittal plant maintenance
- EU electric arc furnace (EAF) steel production share reached 39.4% in 2023, up from 37.2% in 2020
- Poland's steel production grew 5.2% to 7.9 million tons in 2023, driven by export demand
- Netherlands produced 6.4 million tons of crude steel in 2022 via Tata Steel's IJmuiden plant
- EU finished steel products output in 2023 was 128.5 million tons, with hot-rolled products at 45%
- Belgium's steel production declined 8.3% to 4.2 million tons in 2023 due to BF shutdowns
- Austria's Voestalpine produced 7.5 million tons of steel in 2022, focusing on high-value flat products
- Czech Republic's steel output was 5.1 million tons in 2023, with Moravia Steel as key player
- Sweden's crude steel production stood at 4.6 million tons in 2022, all via EAF route
- Romania produced 3.2 million tons of steel in 2023, emphasizing long products
- EU steel production capacity utilization rate was 72.5% in 2023, down from 85% pre-Ukraine war
- Luxembourg's steel output dropped to 1.1 million tons in 2022 from ArcelorMittal operations
- Slovakia's U.S. Steel Kosice produced 4.3 million tons in 2023
- EU direct reduced iron (DRI) production reached 1.2 million tons in 2023, supporting green steel
- Hungary's steel production was 2.1 million tons in 2022, mainly coils
- EU hot metal production in Q1 2024 was 18.7 million tons
- Greece's steel output stabilized at 1.8 million tons in 2023 post-Siderca acquisition
- EU slab production volume was 42.3 million tons in 2022
- Portugal's steel production hit 2.4 million tons in 2023 via EAF
- EU bloom and billet output reached 28.6 million tons in 2023
- Denmark's minimal steel production was 0.3 million tons in 2022 from niche producers
- EU structural steel sections production was 12.4 million tons in 2023
- Finland's Outokumpu stainless steel output was 2.2 million tons in 2022
- EU wire rod production totaled 11.7 million tons in 2023
Production Interpretation
In 2023, Europe's steel industry, still reliant on a creaking, gas-guzzling core, appears to be simultaneously rusting in patches and undergoing a green, electric arc-sparked renovation, with Germany stubbornly holding the anvil while the continent's overall production hammers away at only a 72.5% capacity.
Trade
- EU steel exports to non-EU countries reached 37.2 million tons in 2023, up 2.5% from 2022
- Germany's steel exports totaled 22.4 million tons in 2023, with 45% to EU partners
- Italy imported 21.8 million tons of steel products in 2022, 60% semi-finished from Asia
- EU steel imports from China were 11.4 million tons in 2023, down 15% due to safeguards
- France's steel exports grew 3.1% to 9.7 million tons in 2023, mainly flat products
- Spain exported 6.8 million tons of long steel products in 2022 to Turkey and US
- Poland's steel imports surged 28% to 8.2 million tons in 2023 from Russia/Ukraine
- Netherlands handled 15.3 million tons of steel imports as trade hub in 2023
- Belgium's steel exports to UK reached 4.1 million tons in 2022 post-Brexit
- EU steel trade surplus with US was 2.3 million tons in 2023 under quota agreements
- Austria exported 5.2 million tons of special steel in 2023 to automotive sector
- Sweden's stainless steel exports hit 1.9 million tons in 2022, 70% to Asia
- Romania imported 4.5 million tons of slabs in 2023 for re-rolling
- EU anti-dumping measures affected 3.1 million tons of imports in 2023
- Czech Republic steel exports to Germany were 3.8 million tons in 2023
- EU steel imports from Turkey declined 12% to 7.6 million tons in 2022
- Portugal exported 1.7 million tons of wire rod in 2023 to Africa
- Hungary's steel trade deficit widened to 1.2 million tons in 2023
- Greece imported 2.9 million tons of rebar in 2022 for recovery fund projects
- Finland's Outokumpu exported 70% of 2.2 million tons stainless steel in 2023
- EU steel exports to Middle East grew 18% to 4.8 million tons in 2023
- Slovakia exported 3.4 million tons of slabs to Italy in 2022
Trade Interpretation
The EU steel market remains a complex dance of strategic exports, shifting import dependencies, and targeted trade defenses, where Germany flexes its industrial muscle, Italy leans heavily on Asian semi-finished goods, and the bloc cautiously manages a surplus with the US while navigating a flood of imports into its eastern members.
Sources & References
- Reference 1WORLDSTEELworldsteel.orgVisit source
- Reference 2EUROFEReurofer.euVisit source
- Reference 3ECec.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 4VOESTALPINEvoestalpine.comVisit source
- Reference 5OUTOKUMPUoutokumpu.comVisit source
- Reference 6TRADEtrade.ec.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 7TATASTEELtatasteel.comVisit source
- Reference 8SSABssab.comVisit source
- Reference 9USSTEELussteel.comVisit source
- Reference 10BDIbdi.euVisit source
- Reference 11H2GREENSTEELh2greensteel.comVisit source
- Reference 12HYBRITDEVELOPMENThybritdevelopment.seVisit source