International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) has recently given Outokumpu its annual sustainability award for the efforts of Outokumpuâs Mexican mill in water recycling. Water is used in various phases of the manufacturing process of stainless steel, from casting of steel slabs at melt shop via hot rolling to annealing, pickling and wet polishing in cold rolling. In 2015, Outokumpu used altogether 40 million m3 of water, out of which 95% was surface or rainwaters and only 5% municipal or groundwater. In all processes, water is recycled whenever possible, for instance through cooling towers.
Says Juha Ylimaunu, head of Sustainability and Environment: âWe are extremely proud for this recognition given by ISSF regarding water recycling in Mexico. We produce sustainable stainless steel and take our environmental responsibility seriously. Water is worth saving, whether you have an abundant or scarcity of fresh water available. Our production processes are geared towards resource efficiency to limit the use of virgin materials and to maximize the recovery and recycling of materials to save natural resources.â?