The supply of bluemint® recycled CO₂-reduced steel to the BMW Group will start in 2026. Central application areas — the outer panels, interior parts, and the battery housing — in the BMW iX3 will in future be made of bluemint® Steel from thyssenkrupp Steel. The material has a high proportion of recycled material and achieves CO₂ savings verified by TÜV Süd compared to conventional steel. bluemint® recycled is a mass‑balanced recycled product. A mathematical allocation procedure ensures that CO₂ reductions from the production process can be attributed to products on a pro rata basis. The BMW Group will use bluemint® recycled in series production without having to adapt existing processes.
With bluemint® recycled, a CO₂-reduced steel product is now available that meets the automative industry’s quality requirements and can be used in the demanding series production of outer panels. The material is produced using the classic blast furnace route, in which part of the iron ore is replaced by a specially processed scrap product. This reduces the use of coking coal and significantly cuts CO₂ emissions depending on the grade and processing — without compromising formability or surface quality.
bluemint® recycled is also used for the battery housing in the BMW iX3. In this application in particular, the components benefit from the typical properties of steel, which are of key importance for safety and functionality in electric vehicles.
Georgios Giovanakis, Chief Sales Officer at thyssenkrupp Steel, explains: “With bluemint® recycled, the BMW Group has access to a CO₂-reduced steel product that meets the highest quality requirements and can be used directly in series production. The fact that bluemint® Steel is used for both outer panel components and battery housings shows the great potential of CO₂-reduced steel. Electromobility and climate friendly steel together make an important contribution to reducing industrial emissions.”