The steel industry in Europe has demonstrated a major commitment to reduce the environmental
burden of its activities. The investments in environmental protection can be estimated
between 5 and 15 % of the total capital expenditures to improve the individual operations.
These efforts are strengthened by the technological evolution of the steel making sector
and by an increase of the recycling route. The new development of viable techniques is
still required to further reduce the emissions to the air, mainly from sinter plants and to
decrease the amount of waste. Finally, it will become necessary in the future to
fundamentally rethink the use of reducing agents to reduce the CO2 emissions.