Description
Date: 11 November, 2026, 13.00 UTC.
Estimated Time: 1 hr
Language: English
Summary of the lecture
The transition towards low-carbon steelmaking depends not only on new production technologies, but also on access to reliable, affordable and increasingly low-carbon energy. As the steel industry works towards decarbonisation, electricity availability, price stability and energy infrastructure are becoming critical factors in determining the feasibility and competitiveness of future steel production.
Although renewable energy generation costs have declined significantly, integrating these technologies into electricity systems presents new challenges. Grid congestion, rising demand from data centres, additional system-level costs and regulatory uncertainty are creating a more complex energy landscape for energy-intensive industries.
How can the steel sector secure the energy it needs while remaining competitive and progressing towards its decarbonisation goals?
In this steelTalk, Dr Barış Bekir Çiftçi, Director of Industry Analysis at the World Steel Association (worldsteel), will examine global energy supply, demand and cost trajectories, the structural bottlenecks affecting power availability, and emerging solutions to support industrial decarbonisation.
What you will learn:
- Understand global trends in energy supply, demand and electricity system costs.
- Examine the challenges of securing reliable, affordable and low-carbon power for steel production.
- Explore how grid congestion and growing electricity demand affect industrial competitiveness.
- Discover emerging corporate power arrangements and nuclear co-location models.
- Understand the impact of fragmented standards, certification schemes and regulatory uncertainty.
- Identify regulatory reforms needed to support long-term investment and industrial decarbonisation.
Speaker Introduction
Dr Barış Bekir Çiftçi
Director of Industry Analysis, World Steel Association (worldsteel)
Dr Barış Çiftçi is the Director of Industry Analysis at the World Steel Association (worldsteel), where he oversees global economic analysis and market intelligence.
With more than 15 years of industry experience, he specialises in identifying and analysing structural shifts across the steel value chain, spanning raw materials, energy markets and end-use sectors, including automotive and construction.
He leads the delivery of strategic intelligence, demand forecasting and foresight to worldsteel’s global membership.
Barış holds a B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from Middle East Technical University and a Ph.D. in Economics from Tilburg University.
