Konecranes’ Material Handling Equipment Supports the Growing Low-Carbon Steel Movement

Konecranes, a global leader in material handling solutions, will showcase its offerings for the steel industry at the Green Steel World Conference in Essen, Germany, and the Nordic Steel Construction Conference in Luleå, Sweden,  both scheduled for late June.

With a legacy of pioneering safer, more productive and sustainable equipment and services, Konecranes is committed to advancing a decarbonized and circular world for customers and society.

The Importance of Low-Carbon Steel

The production of steel is a CO₂ and energy-intensive activity, making it an important industry to decarbonize in the coming years to help mitigate climate change. Low-carbon steel, also referred to as green steel, is produced with minimal or zero carbon emissions, as it relies on renewable energy sources and recycled materials, offering an alternative pathway to decarbonize steel production. By leveraging renewable energy and innovative technologies, the environmental impact of steel can be minimized, addressing regulatory standards and meeting the rising demand for environmentally sustainable products.

Playing Our Part in Green Steel Initiatives

Konecranes is actively involved in green steel initiatives across Europe and beyond. Several steel companies are investing in new technologies and processes that utilize hydrogen and scrap metal to produce low-carbon steel. Konecranes has secured significant orders from a range of players including Hybar, an environmentally sustainable scrap metal recycling and steel production company in the United States.

Comprehensive Solutions for the Steel Industry – Both Low-Carbon and Conventional

Konecranes' lifting solutions are tailored for the steel industry, both low-carbon and conventional, covering all stages of production from scrap handling to coil and plate handling. Designed to withstand the tough conditions typical of steel production — such as hot, corrosive or otherwise hazardous environments — Konecranes’ equipment features fully shielded key components and sensitive parts. Operator cabins are equipped with noise reduction, heat protection, full air conditioning and ergonomic controls to ensure safety and comfort. Additionally, the Remote Operating Station (ROS) provides a secure and ergonomic workspace, enhancing efficiency across the steel production process. With Smart Features and the option for fully automated solutions, Konecranes enhances crane precision, minimizes errors and improves safety, making its solutions a perfect fit for modern steel manufacturing.

Aku Lehtinen, Director of Green Steel, EMEA at Konecranes, emphasizes, "We are committed to supporting our clients in their transition to more sustainable practices by providing cutting-edge material handling equipment. Our focus on innovation and automation ensures that our solutions are tailored to the unique requirements of Green Steel production."

A Crane for Every Stage of Steel Production

From the moment scrap and iron ore arrive at the factory, to the melt shop, through casting and molding, and on to storage and shipping, Konecranes provides solutions for every stage of steel production:

• Scrap handling cranes have lifting capacities of up to 40 tons to efficiently manage unstructured scrap metal.
• Ladle handling cranes are engineered with increased working coefficients, redundancy systems, and motion limiters.
• Charging cranes can handle loads of up to 500 tons, efficiently transporting hot metal to the continuous casting machine or ladle furnace.
• Slab and billet cranes offer lifting capacities of 40 tons for billets and 120 tons for slabs. They are equipped with Smart Features to facilitate precise and complex movements.
• Coil and plate handling cranes seamlessly integrate with the Warehouse Management System (WMS), optimizing storage efficiency.

Extensive Service Network Ensures Support Around the Clock – And the Globe

Konecranes prioritizes customer proximity by maintaining an extensive service network, guaranteeing local crane maintenance support worldwide. This commitment ensures that customers, regardless of their location, have access to prompt and reliable service and maintenance solutions for their lifting equipment.

TRUCONNECT Remote Monitoring provides real-time data for operations and maintenance planning, resulting in enhanced reliability, reduced environmental impact associated with unexpected downtime, and extended equipment lifetime. By leveraging the combined data from all the equipment serviced around the globe, insights are used to guide maintenance recommendations and actions.

A Commitment to Sustainable Business

Konecranes consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainability across its operations. The company’s factories are powered by renewable electricity. In 2022, the company achieved the science-based target of halving emissions from its own operations versus 2019, and is now aiming for carbon neutral operations by 2030. The target of halving value chain emissions from purchased goods and services and the use of sold products by 2030 requires collaborative efforts, where the steel industry’s decarbonization plays an important role. Konecranes’ product design is based on smart design principles focusing on reparability, durability as well as material and energy efficiency. The company supports customers’ decision-making by conducting lifecycle assessments, providing fact-based information on the product’s environmental impact during its whole lifecycle. With science-based targets guiding its efforts, Konecranes plans to utilize low-carbon steel as a raw material of its product offering, further exemplifying its dedication to a smarter, safer, and better world. This dedication to sustainability has earned Konecranes several acknowledgments like a Gold rating from EcoVadis, three years in a row, placing it in the top 1% of its industry peers. Konecranes also received a leadership ranking (A-) in the CDP annual climate program and won the 2024 German Sustainability Award in the Lifting and Handling Technology category. 

A strong focus on customers and commitment to business growth and continuous improvement make Konecranes a material handling industry leader. This is underpinned by investments in digitalization and technology, plus our work to make material flows more efficient with solutions that decarbonize the economy and advance circularity and safety.