For hundreds of years, raging blast furnaces — fed with coking coal — have forged steel used in cars, railways, bridges and skyscrapers.

But the puffs of coal-fired smoke are a big source of carbon dioxide, the heat-trapping gas that’s driving climate change.

According to the World Steel Association, every metric ton of steel produced in 2020 emitted almost twice that much carbon dioxide (1.8 tons) into the atmosphere.

Total direct emissions from making steel were about 2.6 billion tons in 2020, representing around 7% of global CO2 emissions.

In Sweden, a single company, steel giant SSAB, accounts for about 10% of the country’s emissions due to the furnaces it operates at mills like the one in the northern town of Lulea.

But not far away, a high-tech pilot plant is seeking to significantly reduce the carbon emissions involved in steel production by switching some of that process away from burning coking coal to burning hydrogen that itself was produced with renewable energy.

HYBRIT — or Hydrogen Breakthrough Ironmaking Technology — is a joint venture between SSAB, mining company LKAB and Swedish state-owned power firm Vattenfall launched in 2016.

“The cost of renewable energy, fossil-free energy, had come down dramatically and at the same time, you had a rising awareness and the Paris Agreement” in 2015 to reduce global emissions, said Mikael Nordlander, Vattenfall’s head of industry decarbonization.

“We realized that we might have a chance now to outcompete the direct use of fossil fuels in industry with this electricity coming from fossil-free sources,” he added.

Last year, the plant made its first commercial delivery. European carmakers that have committed to dramatically reducing their emissions need cleaner steel. Chinese-owned Volvo Group became the first carmaker to partner with HYBRIT. Head of procurement Kerstin Enochsson said steel is a “major contributor” to their cars’ carbon footprint, between 20 and 35%.

“Tackling only the tailpipe emissions by being an electric company is not enough. We need to focus on the car itself, as well,” she said.

Demand from other companies, including Volkswagen, is also sending a signal that there is demand for green steel. Steelmakers in Europe have announced plans to scale up production of steel made without coal.

The HYBRIT process aims to replace the coking coal that’s traditionally used for ore-based steel making with hydrogen and renewable electricity.

It begins with brown-tinged iron ore pellets that react with the hydrogen gas and are reduced to ball-shaped “sponge iron,” which takes it name due to pores left behind following the removal of oxygen. This is then melted in an electric furnace.

If the hydrogen is made using renewable energy, too, the process produces no CO2.

The Nigerian government, says it has so far spent N157bn on the Second Niger Bridge project.

the project which is carried out by the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) and managed by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) is now confirmed to be ready by October 2022.

Zainah Ahmed, the finance minister, confirmed the funding and the completion date on Saturday during an inspection tour of the bridge, to ascertain the level of work at the construction site.

The visit came barely three weeks after Ibrahim Gambari, chief of staff to the president equally toured the construction site to ascertain the extent of work on the bridge.

According to the Finance Minister, the bridge when completed will not only ease the traffic gridlock usually experienced in the area but will enhance commercial and other business activities within the communities.

She expressed satisfaction with the level and standard of the construction under Julius Berger Nig Limited, and that she can now report to President Buhari about her findings on the bridge, which according to her “is very dear to the President.”

Ahmed further commended Julius Berger for utilizing over fifty percent of the workforce from the communities around, thereby creating about 20,000 jobs so far.

The 2nd Niger Bridge is being funded by the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) created by President Buhari to accelerate the completion of key infrastructure projects, including the Lagos Ibadan Expressway and the Abuja Kaduna, Kano road.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) says violators of traffic rules will be subjected to a 3-day compulsory training.

The Director, Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) Dr Abdulateef Bello who disclosed this in Abuja said the violators would also be prosecuted by a Mobile Court before they get back their vehicles.

Bello also revealed that within two weeks of offensive operations, about 152 vehicles, 326 motorcycles and 15 tricycles were impounded at various places.

“The operations have been about getting rickety vehicles out of town and also ensuring that Okadas are kept out of restricted areas.

“So far we have taken off the streets about 152 motor vehicles, 326 Motorcycles, 15 Tricycles and about 22 dispatch.

“They are going to be made to face the law as quickly as possible before they face the mobile court, three days training compulsorily to acquaint themselves with the rules and regulations in using our roads.  They have to pay for the training and also pay their fines. They have to understand the road culture. “

The Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Mr Ikharo Attah who led the team, said the work of sanitising the city has become very taxing that all relevant agencies need to forge a collaborative partnership.

Attah noted that the ongoing onslaught against traffic offenders and other criminalities in Abuja was a resolve of FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello to maintain the standards required of a model City.

He added that the Enforcement through Area 1, Apo Bridge, Lugbe-Airport and Gishiri Junction, was an energised exercise that would be sustained.

According to him, “The Central focus of the work today is largely traffic.  We went round to purge the city of rickety vehicles and illegal motor parks.

“The city has reached a point where we work as a separate component.  All the relevant agencies are here collaborating to get the job done.“