Electrolux Professional is part of a landmark project that aims to facilitate the greater use of recycled steels in European manufacturing applications.
Steel is a crucial component in the global professional laundry supply chain, but producing it is a heavily energy-intensive process. Committed to shaping a more sustainable future for the commercial laundry industry, Electrolux Professional is a proud member of the CiSMA project.
This ambitious initiative aims to produce 100% recycled steel for use in several mass-market manufacturing applications throughout Europe, including the production of professional laundry equipment. Coordinated by the EURECAT Technology Centre, it will help to:
- Reduce the European Union’s dependency on imported steel
- Cut CO2 consumption
- Boost the circular economy
One barrier the project hopes to overcome is the presence of unwanted trace elements found in low-quality scrap metal, which can damage steel quality.
It will focus on separating undesired inclusions, such as copper, to maximise material viability while using electric arc furnaces. Compared to a traditional blast furnace, they can reduce emissions by 75% and allow the use of 100% scrap loads.
Alongside Volvo Cars, Electrolux Professional is hosting one of two pilot sites to verify the material, ensure processes are market compliant and demonstrate the potential environmental improvement compared to current products. This is taking place over a 42-month period, running from November 2024 to April 2028.
Participation in the CiSMA project is also enabling Electrolux Professional to make targeted reductions to its own upstream Scope 3 emissions. If successful, it has the potential to drastically lower the carbon footprint of a piece of commercial laundry equipment and pave the way for steel to once again be recycled at the end of each unit’s operational life.
“Electrolux Professional remain wholly committed to reducing the climate change impact of our industrial operations.
Steel is a key material in our production process and exploring innovative ways of introducing a greater level of circularity is of significant strategic importance to reducing our upstream Scope 3 emissions.
The CiSMA project has the potential to deliver truly game-changing results, and we are excited to participate in what is likely to be a landmark pilot test.” – Andrea Caputo, Head of Circular Economy and Strategic Sustainable Innovation at Electrolux Professional.
Other participants include:
• Aerobase Innovations
• Blenkige Institute of Technology
• RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
• Tata Steel Nederland
• The ALBA Synchrotron (ALBA-CELLS)
• The CSIC
• The European Steel Technology Platform (ESTEP)
• The University of Liège
• voestalpine
• Volvo Cars
More on the project
