ArcelorMittal Duisburg earns ResponsibleSteel certification

Following a two-year audit process conducted by GUTcert, ArcelorMittal Duisburg has achieved Core Site Certification against the ResponsibleSteel International Production Standard.

The site has been in operation since the mid-nineteenth century. Today ArcelorMittal Duisburg produces casted blooms and billets for rerolling, rolled billets for rerolling and forging, and wire rod for the automotive, energy and mechanical industries

Nico Dewachtere, Chief Operating Officer at ArcelorMittal Europe - Long Products, commented, “Achieving ResponsibleSteel certification is not only a milestone, but reflects our shared values and commitment to sustainability, integrity and responsible practices. It is our promise to the environment, to our communities and to future generations.”

ArcelorMittal Duisburg employs almost 1,000 workers and contractors. As part of the audit, 30 workers were interviewed as well as representatives from local authorities, NGOs, marginalised groups, and other stakeholders.

Annie Heaton, CEO of ResponsibleSteel stated, “We congratulate ArcelorMittal Duisburg on achieving this important step in their sustainability journey. The ResponsibleSteel International Production Standard covers the full spectrum of ESG issues from labour rights and health and safety to emissions reduction and water and waste management, providing the fullest picture of sustainability. Site certification comes with a clear commitment from the sites’ management team to making progress in line with the Standard, in particular on the social pillar. And as ArcelorMittal Duisburg looks to the future with the construction of its new EAF, we look forward to continuing to work with the site and support their progress on the journey toward lower emissions steel.”

The site has aligned itself with ArcelorMittal's corporate GHG target to reduce scope 1 and scope 2 emissions by 35% across European operations by 2030 against a 2019 baseline.

ArcelorMittal has plans to construct an EAF at the Duisburg site, which will be supplied with low-emission sponge iron from ArcelorMittal's Hamburg site. This will allow the transition of the Duisburg site away from production using blast furnace-based pig iron to the DRI-EAF production route.

Dr Cem Kurutas, Chief Executive Officer of ArcelorMittal Duisburg, praised the commitment of all involved in the certification process, saying, “I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to this success. To the project managers who drove the project forward with their vision and expertise, to the teams who worked tirelessly day in, day out, and to all the employees whose dedication and hard work made this possible.”

View the certificate and read the public audit summary here.