2024: A year of progress and new developments
As 2024 comes to an end, it is the ideal time to make a full review of the past year, highlighting ARANIA’s innovations and progress, despite the complexities facing the industry.
ARANIA sustains its leadership in Southern Europe through a growth strategy focused on launching new products and expanding into new markets, all aligned with sustainability and the aim of supporting its clients in their journey towards decarbonisation.
In 2024, ARANIA extends its footprint in North America by launching an expansion project in Canada , further consolidating its role in the precision cold-rolled steel market. This move complements the company’s successful entry into the Mexican market two decades ago.
By deeply analysing the sector and embracing the local business culture, ARANIA has successfully adapted its offerings to meet the specific requirements of the Canadian market. The partnership with Basque Trade & Investment and the assistance from a local collaborator have been crucial in building connections and uncovering new opportunities.
ARANIA continues to expand the product range with new grades, including special alloys and steels with electromagnetic properties. However, the standout innovation of 2024 has been the introduction of the company’s first low-emission steel, ARANIA D-CARB.
The decarbonisation of the steel industry presents a worldwide challenge. ARANIA has responded with ARANIA D-CARB, a solution enabling steel processors to progressively reduce emissions while supporting the decarbonisation of the European steel strip production. This system is compatible with both traditional blast furnace processes and Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) steel mills.
The ARANIA D-CARB system complies with the most rigorous market standards, guaranteeing the transparency and accuracy of verified data. This product allows steel processors to reduce emissions in line with their decarbonisation plans while managing decarbonisation costs. Its adaptability makes it accessible to all processors, regardless of their production methods, thus enforcing a widespread collaboration in the decarbonisation of the steel industry.
Among the year’s most notable milestones, ARANIA has achieved a 98.7% waste reuse rate in its production , reflecting an exceptional performance on resource and waste management. Key initiatives include the complete recycling of scrap metal into new steel and a 45% reduction in cutting fluid usage, which also helps to optimise operating costs.
ARANIA has also implemented a reverse logistics system for returning pallets, ensuring their efficient reuse and reducing the need for new materials . Additionally, the company has minimised its environmental impact by reducing plastic usage, introducing packaging-free shipping solutions for certain products, thus lowering the environmental footprint of each delivery. The strategy of prioritising intermodal transport (rail + road) over diesel lorries continues wherever feasible. For routes where intermodal options are unavailable, ARANIA deploys gas-powered trucks, significantly reducing the environmental footprint.
With this in mind, it should be noted that this year ARANIA has received the EcoVadis Gold Medal, earning a score that places our company in the top 5% of the assessed companies in its sector. This award validates the dedication to environmental management, labour rights, and sustainability throughout its supply chain.
Renewable energy has become a central element in ARANIA’s sustainability strategy. In 2024, ARANIA took a major step with the installation of 1,790 photovoltaic modules on the roof of one of the manufacturing facilities , supplying 8% of the electricity demand for its industrial plant located in Amorebieta (Spain). This initiative is part of a broader commitment to using 100% renewable energy across all the company’s facilities, supported by Guarantee of Origin (GdO) certification since 2018. Over the past years, ARANIA has been reaffirming its commitment to environmental preservation through comprehensive initiatives covering all stages of production.
ARANIA has renewed its carbon footprint verification for 2024, in accordance with ISO 14064, broadening the scope of the audit to cover all emissions produced across the supply chain. This verification guarantees data accuracy and transparency, strengthening the company’s commitment to sustainability and solidifying its leadership in the decarbonisation process of our industry.
Additionally, the validation of the ARANIA PCF Tool according to the ISO 14067 standard allows the company to calculate the emissions generated by each product along the supply chain, offering customers transparent and detailed data on the environmental impact of their materials. In sum, these initiatives make ARANIA a key partner to support its clients in their own decarbonisation objectives.
The guidelines set to steer the future of the steel industry: as part of its efforts to contribute to a more sustainable world, ARANIA joined the United Nations Global Compact, aligning its operations with the ten universal principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. This engagement reinforces the company’s belief in a more sustainable and responsible industry, both in terms of production and logistics.
As part of its innovation and investment efforts, ARANIA is making strong progress in the deployment of the Smart Factory: a complete digitisation and automation of the rolled steel production . The implementation of MES software and AI algorithms has significantly optimised productivity and operational efficiency at the Amorebieta plant. Additionally, the integration of big data technologies has provided comprehensive control over resources, materials, and processes, improving both flexibility and responsiveness to unexpected challenges.
The Smart Factory project is driving efficiency improvements and has also been showcased at industry events as a successful example of transformation, setting a benchmark for a smarter and more competitive steel industry.