One area of focus is providing advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) to automakers, including third-generation (Gen 3) steel grades. With increased strength and better formability, these new specialized grades of steel can be used to make thinner, lighter parts that reduce vehicle weight, increase fuel efficiency, and lower tailpipe emissions while maintaining superior strength and safety performance. For our customers, Gen 3 and other AHSS products are more cost-effective and more environmentally friendly than alternative materials such as aluminum, magnesium, and carbon fiber. Alternative materials, including imported materials, are more energy-intensive and have a larger environmental footprint. For example, U.S. produced wrought aluminum is nearly 70% more carbon emissions intensive than Cliffs鈥� Consolidated Mining, Iron, Steel and Downstream GHG emission intensity, which incorporates our entire vertically-integrated operating footprint.
Steel is also critical to the development of clean energy infrastructure and further reduction of the United States鈥� GHG footprint. We supply AHSS and electrical steel grades to support renewable energy and grid greening applications such as solar power racks and wind turbine components, as well as energy-efficient transformers, generators, and motors.
