BIZ BUZZ: Steel-ing the spotlight for a greener industry
One of the Philippines’ leading steel manufacturers, SteelAsia Manufacturing Corp. (SteelAsia), isn’t just producing steel now—it is also trying to reshape the future of sustainable manufacturing.
Recognized as one of the greenest steel mills in the world, the facility has been spotlighted in an independent report by DNV (Det Norske Veritas), a leading global certification body.
Its inclusion highlights the mill’s remarkable carbon footprint reduction, showing emissions nearly 90 percent lower than conventional steelmaking.
The plant generates only 0.28 tons of CO2 per ton of steel, a significant improvement compared to the industry average of 2.32 tons per ton of steel produced.
Operating since 2008, the Calaca facility touts cutting-edge recycling technologies and renewable energy, setting a benchmark for sustainable steel production.
SteelAsia chair and chief executive officer Benjamin Yao envisions the plant as a model for the industry’s future, highlighting its role in reducing the country’s dependence on imported steel.
“Apart from rebar, the Philippines imports 90 percent of its steel, often from high carbon dioxide (CO2) sources such as China. We aim to replace these imports with locally produced green steel products,” Yao said.
Looking ahead, SteelAsia plans to produce 3.5 million tons of green steel annually by 2028, a move that could prevent seven million tons of CO2 emissions per year—equivalent to the carbon capture of 200 million trees.
The company’s green steel initiative aligns with the Philippines’ commitment to the 2015 Paris Agreement, a global initiative under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which aims to limit global temperature increases to below 2 degrees Celsius by 2050.
SteelAsia operates multiple mills across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, with ongoing expansions to produce additional steel products that are currently imported. The company’s push for sustainable, locally produced steel marks a major step toward a greener, self-sufficient future for the Philippine steel industry.
