Interview at COP30 — Felipe Maciel, Manager for Environment and Climate Change at the World Steel Association

At the Net Zero Nuclear Pavilion at COP30, we spoke with Felipe Maciel, Manager for Environment and Climate Change at the World Steel Association, about the scale of the decarbonisation challenge for the global steel sector—and the opportunities emerging through collaboration, clean energy innovation, and new industrial partnerships.

Steel is foundational to modern economies, but it also accounts for 7–8% of global CO₂ emissions. With global demand for low-carbon materials rising, the sector is navigating one of the most significant industrial transformations of this century. Felipe discussed how reliable clean energy, supportive policy frameworks, and cross-sector collaboration can accelerate progress.

Key Themes from the Interview

The Need for Reliable, Clean Energy

Steel underpins infrastructure, mobility, construction, and advanced manufacturing. As Felipe noted, it is woven into “the fabric of our society”—and decarbonising it requires massive shifts in energy systems.

Today, most steel production depends on coal. Moving to electrified and hydrogen-based production will demand vast amounts of affordable, low-carbon, and dependable power. The World Steel Association estimates that half of all required investment for steel decarbonisation—up to $5.5 trillion—relates directly to electricity and grid infrastructure. Clean, reliable energy is not a “nice to have”; it is core to the pathway forward.

Nuclear Energy and the Just Transition

With COP30’s strong emphasis on people, jobs, and nature, Felipe reflected on how nuclear energy can support a just transition for heavy industry. In many regions, nuclear can provide the firm, long-duration power needed to expand clean steel production—while enabling new industrial capacity, new skills, and new jobs, particularly in developing economies.

Stable, round-the-clock clean energy is essential to maintaining competitiveness during the transition.

Nuclear for Heat, Steam, and Hydrogen

Beyond electricity, nuclear energy also offers a pathway for industrial heat and steam, both crucial for steelmaking. Felipe highlighted research on how nuclear could support electric arc furnaces, providing stable baseload power for batch processes.

He also discussed nuclear-enabled low-carbon hydrogen, a major potential route for steel decarbonisation. With hydrogen still less than 1% low-carbon globally, reliable and affordable clean energy will be key to scaling its production.

Policy and Market Enablers

The steel sector is highly globalised—about 30% of steel is traded internationally—making harmonised standards and clear emissions accounting essential. Felipe underscored the need for:

- globally aligned, interoperable standards for low-carbon steel

- consistent emissions measurement

- demand-side signals such as green public procurement

- long-term policy stability to support 30–40-year capital investments

Clear signals from governments are needed to reward early movers and encourage the shift to low-carbon production pathways.

Cross-Sector Collaboration

Felipe highlighted emerging partnerships as models for global replication—such as Nucor’s collaboration with an advanced nuclear startup in the US. Co-location of hydrogen production, nuclear generation, and steelmaking could help overcome storage and transport challenges while improving efficiency.

He emphasised that pilots and demonstrators are vital. Once successful examples are online, they can be adapted and deployed worldwide, accelerating progress across both industries.

Watch the Full Interview

Hear Felipe’s full insights on the future of clean steel, the role of nuclear in industrial decarbonisation, and the enabling conditions needed to scale low-carbon materials production.

Watch the full video on the World Nuclear Association’s YouTube channel.