This is one of the priority topics for the immediate future, and one which affects the entire Techint Group. Sustainability is a goal that can only be achieved by articulating work between sectors in different operations.

Net zero, or decarbonization, is the process of reducing the emission of carbon dioxide, CO₂, one of the principal greenhouse gases (GHGs), into the atmosphere. The objective of net zero is to achieve a more sustainable global economy, one committed to carbon neutrality and to moving towards the energy transition. Net zero is being promoted by governments and companies around the world as a way of articulating action aimed at mitigating climate change and global warming.

"At some point, all companies will end up adopting sustainability policies, and their net zero programs will be about efforts to achieve self-imposed goals, satisfy market requirements, and comply with regulatory obligations," explained Abraham González, Commercial Team Leader, and Adela Guillaumin, Commercial Manager at the Pesquería Power Plant, Mexico.

Tecpetrol recently joined forces with Tenaris and Ternium for a workshop in Monterrey, coordinated by Techgen, the company running the Pesquería plant, to evaluate the best combination of alternatives from a technical-economic point of view in the context of the particular conditions at the Pesquería Power Plant. The participants and experts explored the incentives and legal framework involved to begin work on defining concrete actions to achieve net zero for the Techint Group in Mexico.

“Tecpetrol fronted the development of the power plant which now supplies the Mexican operations of Tenaris and Ternium with electricity to operate their steel production processes. If power comes from clean sources, clearly it doesn’t emit CO₂. But if it comes from a conventional thermal power plant, there is a need to maximize efficiency and find ways to reduce emissions. As the commercial team at head office, our job is to articulate the interests of the different companies, which is why we hosted this workshop,” explains Abraham.

The meeting, which took place between November 14 and 15, 2022, was preceded by a two-day virtual seminar in September of the same year. In that pre-Workshop, study topics were defined that some referents developed to share with the rest of the participants in November.

The lectures, and particularly the discussions, were designed to lay out the goals and level the information playing field concerning the alternatives for decarbonizing operations in Mexico. During the workshop, the participants defined the lines of action to be worked on during 1Q 2023: the renewable electricity supply and consumption scheme, the CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage), and substituting green hydrogen for part of the natural gas used. The best combination of these factors should allow for the design of a comprehensive and feasible strategic plan for WO operations in Mexico.

“The workshop was a highly productive exercise that enabled us to combine our efforts and focus on deepening the analysis of possible net zero alternatives from the point of view of the Group’s different companies. Throughout this process, we have held meetings on specific issues in order to define concrete actions and put into practice what was discussed and analyzed,” summarized Jimena Ojeda, Energy Planning Manager at Tenaris.

"As a process, it was immensely fulfilling, because it allowed us to carry out a cross-sectoral analysis of Tenaris’s and Ternium’s commitments in CO₂ emissions mitigation, as they are energy-intensive consumers. We were also able to examine the feasibility of implementing various different mitigation measures for the Pesquería Power Plant, thanks to the know-how acquired by Tecpetrol's Energy Transition Unit," concluded Hernán Buralli, Ternium's Senior Environmental Manager.