CERATIZIT targets CO2 neutral by 2025; net zero in 2040

CERATIZIT presented an ambitious sustainability strategy during AMB – The International Exhibition for Metalworking 2022 in Stuttgart, Germany. During the same event, CERATIZIT also won the MM Award for its SilverLine milling cutter made from the company’s CT-GS20Y GreenCarbide.

As the goal of its sustainability strategy, the company aims to solidify its leadership in sustainability for the hard metal and cutting tool industry by 2025. In a CERATIZIT press conference, Executive Board Member Thierry Wolter announced the company’s sustainability goals, which will affect and change the entire supply chain.

"Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time and requires the industry to rethink in many areas as well," Wolter said. “For CERATIZIT customers to also be able to produce more sustainably, we’ve set some aggressive targets for our own products and services. Our vision is to be the leader in sustainability in the hard metal and cutting tool industry by 2025.”

Sustainability along the entire value chain
To become truly sustainable throughout the company, CERATIZIT will evaluate the entire value chain regarding environmental, social, and governance criteria (ESG) while also including company partner cooperation. In the first phase, the focus will be on those aspects that have the greatest leverage effect.

Reduction of the carbon footprint
CERATIZIT is initially focusing on three major levers to reduce its own carbon footprint quickly and significantly. A decisive factor is the increase in the use of secondary raw materials to over 95%. Compared to primary raw materials from ore, this processing requires 70% less energy and reduces CO₂ emissions by 40%. A positive side effect is the safeguarding of the supply chain for raw materials, so that both customers and CERATIZIT benefit twice.

Another focus is on the power supply. CERATIZIT plans to switch the power supply of all sites to green electricity from wind, solar, and waterpower in the next few years.

Closely related to the change in power supply is the hydrogen supply. Hydrogen is used as a production medium in the hard metal industry, especially for production of tungsten powder. Up till now, hydrogen has mainly been obtained from natural gas by steam reforming – referred to as "grey" hydrogen. For the future, CERATIZIT plans to use blue hydrogen, which is produced from water by electrolysis with green electricity. For this purpose, CERATIZIT will cooperate with its existing suppliers and also build its own electrolysis plants.

First milestone: CO₂-neutral by 2025
The first milestone in the implementation of the new strategy is 2025, by which time CERATIZIT foresees not only being CO₂ neutral – to offset all emissions along the entire supply chain – but also reducing actual emissions by 35% compared to the reference year 2020. The second stage, 2030, envisages a reduction of 60% compared to 2020 with the help of further measures.

The most ambitious goal, however, is the achievement of "net zero" by 2040 – a target expected by the Paris Climate Agreement for 2050. "Reducing CO₂ emissions along the entire value chain by at least 75% by 2040 is without question a challenge,” said Wolter when explaining the company’s motivation. “However, with a view to future generations, we see no alternative to this path and are pleased to also let our customers participate in this through products such as our GreenCarbide rods and our award-winning SilverLine milling cutter with sustainability formula as well as through a wide range of services."

Award-winning SilverLine
As essential tools for performing milling operations, the SilverLine solid carbide milling cutter geometries are now produced from the carbide grade CT-GS20Y with an extremely low carbon footprint. Tools made from this carbide developed by CERATIZIT not only reduce the company's carbon dioxide balance but will also soon provide an economic advantage to customers through a certified carbon footprint.

Known as a green carbide, CT-GS20Y consists of over 99% high-quality secondary raw materials. Additionally, CERATIZIT guarantees low-carbon manufacturing by using low-emission production processes and energy sources as well as short transport routes throughout the entire process chain.

At 2.6 kg CO₂/kg of green carbide, CERATIZIT has achieved the lowest ever carbon footprint for a premium carbide grade. When green carbide is used to produce the SilverLine milling cutter, a mere 4.4 kg of CO₂/kg is emitted compared to 19.8 kg CO₂/kg for a conventionally produced SilverLine milling cutter. This equates to a CO₂ emission saving of 78%.

Further information on the sustainability strategy: https://www.ceratizit.com/int/en/sustainability.html