NACE's (National Association of Corrosion Engineers) estimate in 2018 for the global cost of corrosion was U$2,5 trillion/year; some 3,4% of 2013's global GDP.

In terms of actual corroding steel, this equates to some 5 tons of steel degenerating every single second, with 40% of all steel produced being used to replace corroded steel. This amount of corrosion represents a huge environmental impact factoring in that every ton of steel emits on average 1,85 tons of carbon dioxide equating to 8% of global carbon emissions -- replacing corroded steel therefore represents an urgent sustainability challenge that needs to be addressed.

Loss of life from collapsing infrastructure furthermore such as has just very recently occurred in Miami Florida, where a 12-storey seafront condominium "Champlain Towers" collapsed in June 2021 with almost 160 dead or missing, and with Italy's Morandi Bridge in 2018 with an even higher loss of life also due to rebar corrosion, should in today's world be totally unacceptable.

Stainless clad steel can provide the 120-year corrosion resistance of solid stainless steel at half the cost and at reduced energy consumption.

The Technology could be the first in the history of steelmaking to economically bridge the cost gap between stainless and steel in all its forms by placing stainless steel only where it is needed -- on the surface.

The Technology is not limited to rebar, bars, structural sections and wire rod -- it can be applied to cladding any form of hot-forged or hot rolled steel such as coiled plate, sheet and even pipe -- internally or externally.

UK steel producers have been slow to take up the challenge. Stainlessclad UK would therefore require feasibility studies on identifying suitable international joint-venture partners to commercialise the Technology.

Stainlessclad UK is establishing proof of concept for the stainless clad rebar for a North American steel mill. A feasibility study is now required to confirm suitable joint venture partners willing to hot roll Stainlessclad UK's stainless steel jacketed billets into stainless clad rebar and to develop a market for these globally unique products.

Stainlessclad UK is also expanding the Technology's application with a research initiative underway to establish proof of concept (POC) with a UK University to produce inner nickel-clad pipe. The University has ties to the UK and global oil and gas industries.