Steel is responsible for roughly 7% of global energy-sector CO₂ emissions, and for many industrial manufacturers, purchased steel can be one of the largest sources of value chain emissions.
“Green” steel is often at the center of discussions when it comes to decarbonizing steel. While reducing the emissions intensity of steel is critical, supply is expected to lag behind demand for some time and price premiums can limit procurement options for cost sensitive manufacturing companies. That means reducing the mass of steel used, is just as important to decarbonizing steel use.
Why advanced high strength steels deserve closer attention
Advanced high strength steels (AHSS) are generally defined as grades with a tensile strength above 440 MPa, gaining their strength from controlled alloying and processing. Using AHSS can enable innovative designs with less embedded emissions. In some case examples, AHSS has also led to lower overall costs, creating a win-win-win for financial, product, and environmental benefits.
While AHSS has already been widely used in moving installations, particularly in the automotive industry, real and perceived bottlenecks such as the lack of capabilities and tools, re-design and standardization needs, perceived availability of AHSS, and overall industry conservatism have so far slowed uptake in other applications.
Low-stakes self-assessment for new AHSS applications
To further understand the potential of AHSS to help decarbonize steel use, in spring 2026 Combient Pure launched a pre-study funded by Hugo Carlssons Stiftelse för Vetenskaplig Forskning.
During the first phase of the project, we have built a Self-Assessment Tool for AHSS Use. This screening framework lets cross-functional teams assess whether a product or component is a candidate for AHSS, looking at three sets of pre-conditions for AHSS use:
Technical: material and product performance
Operational: sourcing and manufacturing capabilities
Business: cost and revenue potential, customer value, and decarbonization potential
The tool was compiled iteratively in collaboration with steel producers, universities, standardization bodies, and industry associations, and tested with large steel-using manufacturers.
This fall: Examining the AHSS value chain
The project wraps up in fall 2026, when we turn our attention to the wider AHSS value chain. Alongside creating a big picture of AHSS supply globally, we will also be examining the capabilities and investment needs in the value chain. The aim is to understand how the different parts of the value chain can come together to resolve bottlenecks and together accelerate AHSS use.
We will also be creating a high-level view of the climate impact of switching from conventional steel to AHSS in industrial applications. This part of the study will highlight where the key decarbonization levers (and possible bottlenecks) are when AHSS use moves beyond moving installations to broader applications, and how current AHSS supply impacts the climate case.
Join our public workshop in Stockholm and online on November 26th to hear the results from this work, and to discuss with other steel ecosystem actors on how to capture the innovation and decarbonization potential of AHSS.
The workshop is open to all, spots on-site in Stockholm are limited.
Register for the workshop here to hear the full results.
For any questions on the project or workshop, reach out to Anna Pakkala, anna.pakkala@combient.com, +358 40 185 6840.
