TSM specialises in painting steel, a process that releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during the drying phase. To prevent these VOCs from entering the atmosphere, they are currently incinerated at high temperatures using natural gas, resulting in significant CO₂ emissions. The new RTO system, powered by electricity, will not only eliminate the need for fossil fuels but also enhance energy efficiency and environmental performance.

Jens Lauber, Managing Director of Tata Steel Colors, emphasises the strategic importance of this transition: “Together with Tata Steel Nederland, we are committed to producing greener, cleaner, and more circular steel. Our goal for Tata Steel Maubeuge is to become carbon-neutral by 2030, contributing to Tata Steel Nederland’s broader sustainability journey.” Installation of the RTO is already underway, with key components arriving since July and currently assembled. One of the most visible changes for the neighborhood will be the new 54-meter tall chimney.

The innovation with RTO required substantial financial investment. To accelerate its implementation, Tata Steel Maubeuge secured external funding with support from Meta and the French government, under the France 2030 initiative operated by ADEME[1].

Commissioning of the RTO is scheduled for December 2025, with full operational status expected by January 2026.

[1] Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Énergie

Every day, we work towards cleaner and greener steel. With innovative solutions and our Green Steel plan, we aim to reduce CO₂-emissions by 5 million tons per year from 2030, by transitioning to Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) technology and electric furnaces. This transition contributes to the European climate goals and strengthens our competitive position. In addition, we aim to increase the use of scrap in our production processes to 30% by 2030, contributing to a more sustainable use of resources and a reduction of our ecological footprint.

Marketing Director Sander Heinhuis explains why customer focus is so important at Tata Steel Nederland: "Both large and small companies have high and specific demands. That is why we work closely with our customers; we know them very well. Our marketers understand exactly what is happening in their markets, whether it's packaging, automotive, engineering, or construction. Meanwhile, our technical experts understand, at a molecular level, what customers require from our steel and how they apply it within their production processes. With this versatile knowledge, collaboration, and joint innovation, we genuinely help our customers enhance their products.”

The agreement we signed with Ford in 2022, and subsequently with many other partners in the automotive sector, is exemplary. “We already provide sustainable solutions, but at the same time, we offer unique and high-quality steel. In the automotive industry, where steel is the most used material, it needs to be simultaneously strong and formable. Our experts know precisely how strong and formable it needs to be, and our factories can deliver that very accurately. All that quality is what underlies this recognition. Our own data previously indicated that we achieved our highest customer satisfaction score in years,” Heinhuis continues. “This recognition from the market is a fantastic confirmation of that. I am proud that we accomplished this. The fact that this quality runs throughout our entire organisation is what makes Tata Steel Nederland truly exceptional.”

About the MT500

Each year, MT/Sprout compiles a ranking known as the MT500. To create this list, managers and decision-makers from major companies are asked to evaluate their industry peers on various topics, including customer friendliness. The research distinguishes 33 different sectors, with over 4,500 respondents providing more than 16,000 evaluations in total. The study was conducted by the University of Amsterdam under the leadership of Professor of Strategy and Innovation, Henk Volberda.

Hans van den Berg, CEO of Tata Steel Nederland, says: "Membership of LESS is a logical step for us in the decarbonisation of our company and contributes to the sustainability of the European steel sector. We support the objectives of LESS and the development of independent standards. This standardisation helps customers, policymakers, and the rest of the value chain to build confidence in sustainable steel products." 

On the way to a smaller ecological footprint

Whether it's wind turbines, batteries, cars, washing machines, food packaging or infrastructure, our daily lives rely on steel. This is precisely why the steel industry, and consequently Tata Steel, plays a critical role in achieving EU climate goals, as steel accounts for more than 5% of European CO₂-emissions. With CO₂-neutral steel, a significant impact can be achieved in reducing our collective ecological footprint.

With participation in LESS, we can provide our customers with steel according to a clear, transparent standard and demonstrate the sustainability of our product, also to the policymakers. Purchasers of steel products can in turn achieve their own sustainability goals and strengthen their position in a sustainability-focused market.

With the increasing relevance of sustainability, having a clear and certifiable standard for low-CO₂ steel is becoming increasingly important. This allows consumers and markets to actually determine the contribution a product makes to the sustainability transition.

Every day, we work towards cleaner and greener steel. With innovative solutions and our Green Steel plan, we aim to reduce CO₂-emissions by 5 million tons per year from 2030, by transitioning to Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) technology and electric furnaces. This transition contributes to the European climate goals and strengthens our competitive position. In addition, we aim to increase the use of scrap in our production processes to 30% by 2030, contributing to a more sustainable use of resources and a reduction of our ecological footprint.

Highlights:
• More sustainable, with lower investment requirements
• Ready for future food safety standards
• New line enables closer collaboration with customers

In a typical can-making line, small steel cups are first punched out, then stretched to form the sides of the can. In conventional processes, this generates heat due to friction, requiring cooling water that must then be washed off the cans—an energy- and water-intensive process. Tata Steel’s new line doesn’t need any of that. Thanks to the use of innovative Protact® steel and advanced internal cooling of the tooling, cans can now be formed in a dry process. This eliminates the need for emulsified water, reducing energy use and cutting the investment costs for customers.

Food safety for the future
Protact is a polymer-coated steel that reduces friction during forming. “The polymer layer also ensures that the can meets all future food safety standards,” says Hans van der Weijde, Director of R&D at Tata Steel Nederland. “There’s no need to apply a lacquer to the steel. While lacquer is still allowed under current regulations, we see a clear trend toward phasing out these chemical coatings. Lacquered cans also often contain tin. Protact allows for a shorter and cleaner production line.”

Working with customers
The new line can produce up to 400 cans per minute—25% more than the industry standard of 320. The machine at Tata Steel serves as a proof of concept, where customers can see the dry forming process with Protact in action at full industrial speeds. “That collaboration with the customer is crucial,” says Joris Essing, Marketing Manager for packaging steel at Tata Steel Nederland. “We have the expertise in the dry process, but the customer has to make it work on their own production lines. We work closely together to make that happen.”

That collaboration has already delivered results in the packaging market. One example is Tata Steel’s partnership with Grupo Calvo, which led to the development of an innovative Protact tuna can. The polymer layer applied to the steel reduces the need for oil to keep the tuna fresh and make it easy to remove from the can. The packaging is also lighter, due to more efficient material use, which brings transport benefits.

Champion of recycling
Steel food cans offer several advantages: long shelf life even without refrigeration, reduced food waste, and excellent recyclability. Thanks to their magnetic properties, steel cans are relatively easy and cost-effective to separate from other waste streams. In the Netherlands, steel packaging—such as cans for beans, corn, or fish—is the country’s recycling champion. More than 95% of all steel packaging used in the Netherlands is recycled into new steel, making steel the most recycled packaging material.