ArcelorMittal XCarb® steel was a partner of the most sustainable Olympic and Paralympic games ever

Aligned with Paris 2024’s ambition that this year’s event would be the most sustainable ever, all of ArcelorMittal’s contributions were manufactured at its operations in France with XCarb® recycled and renewably produced, low-carbon emissions steel. The company said its partnership brings together design, engineering and technical expertise to challenge perception, demonstrate versatility and showcase the purpose-led potential of designing with steel.

The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Torch

For the first time, the design of the torches used for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games torches are identical, echoing the theme of parity. ArcelorMittal produced 2,000 torches at sites across France, in partnership with designer Mathieu Lehanneur. The torches are manufactured from ArcelorMittal’s XCarb® reduced carbon footprint steel.

The Paris 2024 Spectaculars

At every Olympic Games, a giant version of the Olympic rings is created and hung from a famous location in the host city. In 2024, these rings were made from ArcelorMittal low carbon-emissions steel, XCarb®, and even the ten structural strands which support the rings from the Eiffel Tower were produced by an ArcelorMittal mill in Bourg-en-Bresse, France.

Measuring 29m-wide × 15m-high, and framed in between the Eiffel Tower’s first and second floors, approximately 60m above the ground, the Olympic Spectacular, a giant version of the world famous five interlocking rings that form the Olympic symbol, are visible across Paris. Painted in the famous Olympic colours, the rings turn bright white at night, enabling them to illuminate the skyline.

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Agitos

As an official partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, ArcelorMittal has also manufactured the Paralympic Agitos with XCarb®, low carbon-emissions steel.

Each Agitos arc weighs 1.5 tonnes and measures 12m × 9m. The front faces of the three arcs are coloured red, blue and green – these are the three colours most widely represented in national flags around the world. In the evening and night, the three arcs are illuminated using an external digital-mapping lighting technique.

Want to know more about XCarb®?

As the world’s leading steel company, ArcelorMittal is committed to steering our industry’s efforts to decarbonise, and to be part of the solution to the world reaching net zero by 2050. In addition to our 2050 net zero target, we have set a Group target of reducing our CO₂e emissions intensity by 25% by 2030, and in our European operations, by 35% before 2030. These targets are deliberately ambitious, reflecting our intent to drive meaningful decarbonisation progress this decade.

There is no single solution to CO₂-free steelmaking: we will require a combination of technologies to decarbonise. These include: circular steel; replacing blast furnaces and basic oxygen furnaces with Electric Arc Furnaces, smart carbon steelmaking using circular carbon, carbon capture and storage (CCS) or reuse (CCU), and direct electrolysis.

XCarb® is an umbrella brand that brings together all of ArcelorMittal’s reduced, low and zero-carbon products and steelmaking activities, as well as wider initiatives and innovation projects, into a single effort focused on achieving demonstrable progress towards net zero.

The XCarb® offer is growing, delivering a greater range of low carbon-emissions steel products that can support British Constructional Steelwork Association members to deliver steel intensive construction solutions that meet the most demanding embodied carbon and recycled content targets.

XCarb® (rrp) rolled sections which use 100% recycled content and 100% green electricity allow a product offer with an [A1-A3] GWP of 333 kgCO₂e/t, and are supported by a third party verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). They have been welcomed by the industry as an effective carbon management tool to deliver low embodied carbon steel solutions, and are being used on a growing number of projects.
In November 2022, XCarb® hot dip galvanized steel with Magnelis® coating was added to the family of products. This coil feedstock with an [A1-A3] GWP of 797 kgCO₂e/t is being used by others to manufacture low carbon-emissions steel composite floor decking, and potentially other light gauge applications such as purlins, cladding rails and framing.

July 2023 has seen the launch of a range of structural hollow sections in XCarb® steel, with an [A1-A3] GWP of 649 kgCO₂e/t, and further work to develop an offer for heavy plate is complete, so now the common structural steelwork products are available.

The heaviest rolled UC, being employed in the USA, also available in XCarb®

Our previous largest UC was still an impressive 1299 kg/m. The ones pictured, offer more choice to high-rise columns and other compression members, without further plating. Combining the high mass (1384 or 1488 kg/m) with high-strength steel (HISTAR 460) offers real cost/carbon savings.

Structural steelwork contractors now have a good portfolio of structural products to consider. Also, available for general construction in the same low carbon-emissions range, are sheet piles, rebar/mesh, fibres and cladding panels.

For more details contact
Dave Chapman, Steligence Engineer and UK Sustainability Lead
M: +44 778 917 0012
E: David.chapman@arcelormittal.com

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