Steel production currently accounts for 8% of total global CO2 emissions. Emissions from steel production must decrease for the industry to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and for countries to deliver on the commitments made in the Paris Agreement. Between 2016 and 2020, the manufacturing sector made up 23.8% of Vietnam’s GDP, with almost one-fifth—5% of the manufacturing sector—coming from the domestic iron and steel industries. Surprisingly, the steel sector alone is responsible for 7% of Vietnam’s total CO2 emissions. Decreasing emissions from iron and steel will require transitioning away from fossil fuels that have traditionally powered production and shifting toward low or zero-emission alternatives.
This brief published in the National Bureau of Energy Research and titled “The Potential of Hydrogen for Decarbonizing Iron and Steel Production in Vietnam” by Nghiem Thi Ngoan, Clean Edge Asia Fellow, highlights the potential of green hydrogen for decarbonizing iron and steel production in Vietnam. It illustrates the potential emissions reductions of CO2 through the use of green hydrogen as an alternative to coal.
