Steel sector benchmark · Q3 2026

How Your Plant Stacks Up: Steel Emissions Benchmarks.

Plants tracking real-time BF-BOF and EAF intensities now beat published sector baselines by 18–26%. The full Q3 2026 report breaks down emissions by process route, maps four credit revenue scenarios, and shows the operating moves that close the gap.

Process baselines

The two routes every steel plant sits on

Sector medians from the Q3 2026 dataset — 214 facilities across OECD + emerging markets. Best-in-class points are the top decile, not theoretical limits.

Integrated blast furnace baseline
Coal-fed blast furnaces dominate global primary steelmaking and carry the heaviest emissions envelope. Coal and coke inputs dominate the curve, with 1.7–2.4 t CO₂ / t steel typical across regions.
BF-BOFSector median2.10t CO₂ / t steel
  • Coke + sinter + pellet inputs account for ~70% of integrated plant scope-1 output
  • Best-in-class: 1.7 t CO₂ / t steel via top-gas recovery + biomass injection
  • Typical band: 2.0–2.4 t CO₂ / t steel across OECD producers
Electric arc furnace baseline
EAFs melt scrap with electricity, so emissions track the grid mix of the host region. Coal-heavy grids narrow the gap to BF-BOF — renewables expose the full ~75% advantage.
EAFSector median0.55t CO₂ / t steel
  • Best-in-class: 0.30 t CO₂ / t steel on >90% renewable grids with high scrap yield
  • Typical band: 0.45–0.85 t CO₂ / t steel across EU + US grids
  • Grid-mix sensitivity makes location the single largest lever
Credit revenue scenarios

Four moves, four revenue bands

Indicative annual credit revenue per 500kt-capacity facility. Prices use Q3 2026 spot averages; reductions are against the BF-BOF sector median of 2.10 t CO₂ / t steel.

ScenarioCER pricetCO₂ avoided / yrAnnual revenue
Conservative (BF-BOF, current ops)$14.500.00$0
Top-gas recovery retrofit, BF-BOF$18.000.35$2,200k
Scrap-EAF switch, OECD grid$24.001.55$11,800k
Hybrid (H₂-DRI + EAF), green PPA$32.001.95$19,400k

Net of platform fees. Prices reflect spot averages and are not price guarantees — request the full methodology note inside the PDF.

See your facility against the cohort.

Connect a plant and the platform slots you into the benchmark in under 48 hours — with a credit revenue estimate calibrated to your actual emissions profile.