The Japan Iron and Steel Federation
October 29, 2008

IEA Report States that Japan Has the World’s Most Energy Efficient Steel Industry
The Japan Iron and Steel Federation submitted a fiscal 2007 report on the voluntaryaction plan at the October 27 meeting of the Steel Working Group of the Global
Environmental Subcommittee, Environmental Committee, Industrial Structure
Council. In this report, the federation explained that its statement that the Japanese
steel industry has the highest energy efficiency in the global steel industry has been
supported by data in “Energy Technology Perspectives 2008”*1, which is publishedby the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The IEA released its “Energy Technology Perspectives 2008” on June 6. The
publication compares the energy conservation potential and CO2 reduction potentialof steel industries of different countries. These figures show that, Japan’s steel
industry is effectively the most efficient in the world.
First, the IEA prepared data showing the potential for steel industry energy savings(volume of energy conservation possible) as of 2005 by making greater use of thelatest advances in energy conservation technology and equipment. In Japan, whichranks first in efficiency, the potential energy saving is only 0.83GJ (one gigajoule isone billion joules*2). But potential savings are 1.98GJ in the United States, 2.12GJin Europe (OECD member nations) and 5.57GJ in China (Figure 1).
Japan ranks first again in terms of having the smallest potential CO2 emission
reduction. The potential for lowering CO2 emissions in the Japanese steel industry
is only 0.07 tons per ton of steel produced, the smallest of any country. But
potential reductions are 0.14 tons in the United States, 0.15 tons in Europe (OECDmember nations), 0.48 tons in China and 0.70 tons in Ukraine (Figure 2).
In addition, the IEA released data showing that the worldwide use of current stateof-the-art technologies and equipment would lower annual CO2 emissions by a totalof 340 million tons. China alone accounts for half of this potential reduction.
The Japan Iron and Steel Federation has until now used the January 2008 report ofthe Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE) as the latest
information concerning steel industry energy efficiency (Figure 3).

The above data also confirms that Japan’s steel industry has achieved the highest
level of energy efficiency in the world.
The Japan Iron and Steel Federation has long held the position that many
international organizations recognize the fact that Japan has the most efficient steel
industry in the world. These organizations include the Asia-Pacific Partnership on
Clean Development & Climate (APP), International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI)
and others. We believe that this recent IEA data once again confirms the global
leadership of the efficiency of Japan’s steel industry.
Notes:
1. A technological strategy report prepared by the IEA as reference material for theG8 energy ministers meeting in June 2008 and the G8 summit in July 2008
2. One joule (= 0.24cal) is the amount of work done by a force of one newton
acting on an object to move it a distance of one meter.
One newton is the amount of force required to give a mass of one kilogram anacceleration of one meter per second squared.
For more information, please contact The Japan Iron and Steel Federation:
Secretarial Affairs & Public Relations Group
Tel. +81(0)3-3669-4822, Fax. +81(0)3-3664-1457
Technology, Environment & Energy Group
Tel. +81(0)3-3669-4824, Fax. +81(0)3-3669-0228

Figure 1 Steel Energy Efficiency Potentials in 2005, based on best available technology

Efficiency power generation from BFgas

9.17

4,500
Energy saving pot ential (PJ/ yr)

10.0

Steel finishing improvements
Switch from OHF to BOF

4,000
7.30

3,500

Increased BOFgas recovery

8.0

Blast furnace improvements

7.0

COG recovery

3,000

5.90

5.57

5.38

2,500
2,000

9.0

CDQ (or advanced wet quenching)

6.0

Specific savings potential

5.0
4.0

3.90
3.51

1,500

2.77
2.66
2.121,000

2.0

1.98
0.92

500

3.00.83

1.0

Saving potential (GJ/ t steel)

5,000

0.00World

China Ukraine India

BrazilRussia South Canada OECD
AfricaEuropeUSKorea

Japan

OtherFigure ２ Steel CO2 Reduction Potentialsin 2005, based on best available technology

Efficient power generation from BFgas

Emissions (Mt CO2)350

Switch from OHF to BOF
0.70

300

0.61

250

0.48

0.48

0.7

Blast furnace improvements

0.6
0.5

CDQ (or advanced wet quenching)
0.35

0.30

Specific savings potential [t CO2/t steel]

0.4
0.3

0.29

1000.8Increased BOFgas recovery

COG recovery

200
1500.9Steel finishing improvements

0.17

0.22
0.15

0.14

50

0.08

0.07

00.2
0.10World

China Ukraine

India

BrazilRussiaSouth Canada OECDAfrica
EuropeUSKorea

Japan

OtherSource (Figure 1 & 2):”Energy Technology Perspectives 2008” The International Energy Agency (IEA)

Saving potential (t CO2/ t steel)400

Figure 3 Comparison of Unit Energy Consumption in Steel Industry
0.9
0.72

0.71

0.76

0.78

0.8

Russia

0.79

India

0.75

ChinaCrude steel unit energy consumption(tons of petroleum/tons of crude steel)

0.8 0.74

0.69

0.7

0.63

0.59
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1

Korea

AustraliaJapan

GermanyFranceUK（122CanadaUS0127 122 120 117 100 134 107 129 132 136）
（transformed into indices by JISF）

Japan’s integrated steel mill has the highest energy efficiency in the global
steel industry.(Japan’s high efficiency is due in large part to the extensive useof exhaust heat recovery equipment and the high utilization rate of byproductgases.)
Source: International Comparison of Energy Efficiency (Electric Power, Steel and Cement),
Reseach Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth(RITE), 2008
(Numerical data prepared by JISF based on RITE report)

About The Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF)
http://www.jisf.or.jp/en/index.html
The Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) was established in November 1948. In November
2001, it was completely reorganized through consolidation with the Kozai Club and the Japan
Iron & Steel Exporters' Association. The JISF is a nationwide representative body of theJapanese steel industry and its members consist of the country's major iron and steel
producers and trading companies engaged in steel distribution. Steel is a basic materialindispensable for industrial development and the improvement of people's lives. It is also oneof Japan's most important exports. The JISF contributes to the sound growth of the national
economy and promotes international cooperation by taking on challenges from the overall
standpoint of the Japanese steel industry. To these ends, the JISF carries out extensive
activities that include compiling statistics and conducting research and studies on steel
production, demand and distribution; promoting the development and diffusion of newtechnologies for steel production and products; addressing environmental issues; improvingand streamlining work and management conditions; enhancing standardization and promoting
fair steel trade.