Currently, our SWT Green Steel is being used for the construction of the Swiss Forster Campus – new company headquarters of Forster Profilsysteme AG. The Forster Campus is the first commercial building ensemble in Switzerland to receive the internationally renowned LEED certification with level “Gold” for particularly sustainable buildings.
The buildings set standards in sustainability – both in construction and operation: solar panels supply production entirely with green electricity, rainwater is used for sanitary facilities as well as garden irrigation, and waste process heat is used to improve the efficiency of the heating and cooling systems.
The roof structures are erected using our SWT Green Steel. 400 tonnes in the form of wide-flange beams measuring HEA 220 to 360, HEB 240 to 300 and HEM 260 are being used, all in steel grade S355J2+AR. The buildings will be completed in 2024.
Willi Lüchinger (CEO Forster Profilsysteme AG): “Of course, conventional steel is also 100% recyclable. But with the use of steel produced in a CO2-reduced manner, we go one step further in terms of sustainability. The LEED Gold level we are aiming for can only be achieved with Green Steel.” The abbreviation LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design”. The certification from the USA defines standards for sustainable buildings and awards them “Platinum”, “Gold”, “Silver” and “Certified” according to a point system.
Areas assessed include water and energy efficiency, indoor and outdoor air quality, construction site waste management (recycling), environmental measures on construction sites, monitoring of energy and water consumption data, and calculation of annual greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 equivalents).
Steel is traditionally produced in an energy-intensive process in a blast furnace. Green Steel, on the other hand, is produced in an electric arc furnace. Thanks to this process, CO2 emissions from steel production are significantly reduced. Only recycled scrap is used as raw material for Green Steel, which corresponds to an environmentally friendly circular economy. SWT Green Steel is produced in a CO2-reduced manner and thus contributes to reducing global emissions.
The raw material, the climate-friendly production process and the possibility of classic processing make SWT Green Steel the steel of the future.
