Anyone who sees the eucalyptus forests in the Jequitinhonha Valley region in Minas Gerais cannot imagine how much technology, work and innovation there is there. It is something that few countries in the world have. And all this is done with the commitment of more than a thousand employees and dozens of companies in the region, partners of Aperam BioEnergia.

The implementation of environmental, social and corporate governance practices (environment, social commitment and governance mechanisms) has gained strength around the world and new technologies such as artificial intelligence, real-time data analysis, automation, among others. several others, promise to accelerate this process.

In this sense, Aperam América do Sul reached a new level in sustainability, with the achievement, in 2022, of neutrality between emissions and removals of greenhouse gases generated in its operations in Brazil, unprecedented in its segment. In practice, this means that the company became the first company with a neutral carbon balance in scopes one and two, in the special flat steel segment. The measurements correspond to the integrated operations of Aperam América do Sul, a producer of special flat steel in Timóteo, Minas Gerais, and of Aperam BioEnergia , a charcoal producer, and refer to the accumulated period from 2020 to 2022.

Burners and automation: About to complete 50 years, Aperam BioEnergy is a pioneer in the development of new technologies. In this way, in addition to dedicating itself to a clean and renewable energy source, it uses a sustainable production process attested even by independent audits by the Forestry Management Council and ISO 14001 certification.

Along the same lines, Aperam BioEnergia , imbued with its commitment to the environment and sustainability, has voluntarily dedicated itself to the development of technologies to mitigate the environmental impacts studied throughout the rigorous licensing process to which it has been submitted.

Among the technologies used by Aperam BioEnergia , the use of gas burners stands out, a technology patented by the company. Gas burners are structures that have been installed in Aperam BioEnergia's Production Units in order to mitigate the possible impacts caused by the emission of gases resulting from the carbonization of wood.

Industrial automation also plays its part. Here at Aperam, we can mention the automation of kilns, which consists of technological equipment that, during the charcoal carbonization process, automatically reads and manipulates data , allowing control of carbonization parameters. with high precision and quick detection of possible points for intervention in the furnaces. The system also assists in the cooling step during the production process. of coal. Its development resulted in operational and time savings, reaching the main points around the kilns in a safer way and obtaining standardized production.

Process monitoring is carried out in real time, with communication via a graphical interface, and can be manually controlled by computational commands and or programmed to act automatically within pre-established parameters. As a result, we have a standard cycle for the entire process, making it more effective, increasing productivity and accuracy, resulting in standardized products and real gains for operational and environmental management.

Integrated into the production unit's automated management system, these pieces of equipment place the company and the Jequitinhonha region in a prominent position for using innovative, sophisticated and sustainable technologies. The commitment to sustainability and the development of environmentally responsible, socially fair and economically viable practices guide Aperam's processes. And our Green Steel raises the standards of the final product to the level we have always sought: to ensure that our processes maintain responsibility and commitment to the environment and future generations.