{"title":"“Green” steel investments in the EU: Pie in the sky?","authors":"Per-Olov Johansson , Bengt Kriström","doi":"10.1016/j.reseneeco.2025.101494","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The steel industry accounts for approximately 7%–8% of global carbon dioxide emissions. To address this, several initiatives aim to establish carbon-neutral steel production by replacing coal with hydrogen derived from fossil-free electricity. These projects, however, depend on substantial state subsidies, raising questions about their economic viability, especially under comprehensive carbon policies, such as those outlined in the EU’s Fit-for-55 package. Our analysis employs a cost–benefit framework grounded in general equilibrium theory, which explicitly considers the direct and indirect effects of policies on primary and secondary markets, as well as broader economic interdependencies. By integrating the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAMs) into this framework, we provide a rigorous evaluation of the social desirability of hydrogen-based steel production. Our findings, based on a case study of a large-scale plant in northern Sweden, indicate significant social losses, with potentially far-reaching implications for similar projects across the EU. We might see a da capo of the 1970s European steel crisis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47952,"journal":{"name":"Resource and Energy Economics","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 101494"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Resource and Energy Economics","FirstCategoryId":"96","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0928765525000181","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ECONOMICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The steel industry accounts for approximately 7%–8% of global carbon dioxide emissions. To address this, several initiatives aim to establish carbon-neutral steel production by replacing coal with hydrogen derived from fossil-free electricity. These projects, however, depend on substantial state subsidies, raising questions about their economic viability, especially under comprehensive carbon policies, such as those outlined in the EU’s Fit-for-55 package. Our analysis employs a cost–benefit framework grounded in general equilibrium theory, which explicitly considers the direct and indirect effects of policies on primary and secondary markets, as well as broader economic interdependencies. By integrating the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAMs) into this framework, we provide a rigorous evaluation of the social desirability of hydrogen-based steel production. Our findings, based on a case study of a large-scale plant in northern Sweden, indicate significant social losses, with potentially far-reaching implications for similar projects across the EU. We might see a da capo of the 1970s European steel crisis.
期刊介绍:
Resource and Energy Economics provides a forum for high level economic analysis of utilization and development of the earth natural resources. The subject matter encompasses questions of optimal production and consumption affecting energy, minerals, land, air and water, and includes analysis of firm and industry behavior, environmental issues and public policies. Implications for both developed and developing countries are of concern. The journal publishes high quality papers for an international audience. Innovative energy, resource and environmental analyses, including theoretical models and empirical studies are appropriate for publication in Resource and Energy Economics.