ISO 14404-2:2013

Overview

ISO 14404-2:2013 defines a standardized calculation method for carbon dioxide (CO2) emission intensity specifically for steel plants that use an electric arc furnace (EAF). The standard helps EAF-based steel producers evaluate total annual CO2 emissions and the emission factor (CO2 per unit of steel production) for a site. It covers boundary definition, material and energy flow mapping, and the application of emission factors, including upstream and credit concepts, so companies can establish site-attributable CO2 emissions consistently.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope and applicability: Applies to plants producing mainly carbon steel with EAF processes; intended for site-level CO2 emissions intensity, not product footprints or intra-site process benchmarking.
• Principles: Emphasizes relevance, completeness, consistency, accuracy and transparency for CO2 emissions accounting.
• Boundary definition: Requires clear site boundaries and categorization of emissions (direct, upstream and credit). The document provides category frameworks (Categories 1–4) to define what is included.
• Emission source types: Defines direct CO2 (on-site), upstream CO2 (imported materials, electricity, steam), and credit CO2 (exported materials/electricity). Aligns terms with ISO 14064-1 classifications.
• Material & energy flows: Specifies how to record fuels, auxiliary materials (e.g., lime, electrodes), ferrous materials and energy carriers used in EAF steelmaking.
• Calculation procedure: Clause 6 details the calculation method; Annex A converts consumption to energy metrics, Annex B offers templates for emission factor application, and Annex C provides worked examples.
• Limitations: Not intended for establishing regulatory benchmarks or for comparing CO2 intensities of discrete processes inside the same site.

Applications and practical value

• Calculate annual CO2 emissions and CO2 emission intensity (t CO2 / t crude steel) for an EAF steel plant.
• Standardize site-level greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting for sustainability reports, investor disclosure, or internal emissions management.
• Identify major emission sources and prioritize emissions reduction opportunities (fuel switching, energy efficiency, raw material sourcing).
• Provide a consistent basis for corporate aggregation of site data (e.g., worldsteel data collection) and for internal benchmarking across sites using the same methodology.

Who should use it

• Environmental managers, sustainability teams, EAF plant managers, environmental consultants, GHG auditors and corporate reporting officers at steel manufacturers using electric arc furnaces.

Related standards

• ISO 14404-1 (steel plant with blast furnace)
• ISO 14064-1 (GHG quantification and reporting)
• worldsteel CO Emissions Data Collection User Guide

Keywords: ISO 14404-2, EAF, electric arc furnace, CO2 emission intensity, steel plant CO2, greenhouse gas accounting, emission factor, steel industry.