Outokumpu’s emission-minimized stainless steel gaining share in the industry - cooperation with steel distributor Klöckner & Co started

Outokumpu’s emission-minimized stainless steel gaining share in the industry – cooperation with steel distributor Klöckner & Co started

Outokumpu has ambitious targets in terms of sustainability and is further shaping the stainless steel market by setting a new benchmark with its Circle Green product line, launched in June 2022. Outokumpu is starting cooperation with Klöckner & Co, one of the largest producer-independent distributors of steel and metal products, by delivering the first coil made of emission-minimized stainless steel. From 2023 onwards, the companies intend to supply larger quantities of the product.

Heikki Malinen, CEO of Outokumpu, and Guido Kerkhoff, CEO of Klöckner & Co, at Outokumpu's finishing plant in Terneuzen, the Netherlands.

“After securing significant quantities of CO₂-reduced steel at an early stage, we are now also committed to increasing the availability of other CO₂-reduced metals for our customers – Outokumpu's first CO₂-minimized stainless steel coil is another important step for our company in the right direction. With this we enable even more of our customers to build sustainable value chains already today and strengthen our position as a pioneer of sustainability,” says Guido Kerkhoff, CEO of Klöckner & Co.

Outokumpu’s Circle Green is classified in the best, so-called ‘Prime’ category in Klöckner & Co's new categorization for stainless steel. By this collaboration, Klöckner & Co will be able to significantly expand its portfolio of CO₂-reduced materials, services, and logistics under the new umbrella brand Nexigen®.

Outokumpu’s Circle Green production was the first of its kind globally, as no other stainless steel manufacturer has been able to produce stainless steel with such low emission levels when taking into account all the climate emissions from raw material extraction through the whole production chain. Circle Green is available today and will contribute to further decarbonizing the industry sector.

“We want to help our customers and partners to develop solutions that reduce climate burden by means of the right material choices. Earlier this year, we launched our emission-minimized product, Circle Green, which has attracted interest and created demand among our customers across segments. We are pleased to cooperate with Klöckner & Co – both companies are united by our strong aspirations for a sustainable metal sector, which we are once again getting closer to with our collaboration. Partnering around sustainability offers the possibility to cut emissions and help companies to reach their climate targets,” says Heikki Malinen, President and CEO of Outokumpu.

For more information:

Päivi Allenius, VP – Communications & Brand, tel. +358 40 753 7374
Outokumpu media desk, tel. +358 40 351 9840, e-mail media@outokumpu.com

Christian Pokropp, Head of Corporate Communications at Klöckner & Co, tel. +49 203 307-2050,
e-mail christian.pokropp@kloeckner.com

About Klöckner & Co:

Klöckner & Co is one of the largest producer-independent distributors of steel and metal products and one of the leading steel service companies worldwide. Based on its distribution and service network of around 140 locations in 13 countries, Klöckner & Co supplies more than 100,000 customers. Currently, the Group has around 7,300 employees. Klöckner & Co had sales of some €7.4 billion in the fiscal year 2021. By expanding its portfolio of CO₂-reduced materials, services and logistics under the new umbrella brand Nexigen®, the company is underlining its ambition as a pioneer of a sustainable steel industry. At the same time, as a pioneer of the digital transformation in the steel industry, Klöckner & Co has set itself the goal of digitalizing and largely automating its supply and service chain. In this way, the company aims to become the leading digital one-stop shop platform for steel, other materials, equipment and processing services in Europe and America. 

The shares of Klöckner & Co SE are admitted to trading on the regulated market segment (Regulierter Markt) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse) with further post-admission obligations (Prime Standard). Klöckner & Co shares are listed in the SDAX® index of Deutsche Börse.

About Outokumpu: 

Outokumpu is the global leader in stainless steel. The foundation of our business is our ability to tailor stainless steel into any form and for almost any purpose. Stainless steel is sustainable, durable and designed to last forever. Our customers use it to create civilization’s basic structures and its most famous landmarks as well as products for households and various industries. Outokumpu employs some 9,000 professionals in more than 30 countries, with headquarters in Helsinki, Finland and shares listed in Nasdaq Helsinki. www.outokumpu.com