Significant amounts of fuel are needed to anneal the steel, which again gives rise to combustion related emissions such as NOx, CO2, and possibly SOx. As in the Hot Rolling Mill, a number of different techniques are employed to minimize these emissions, including high efficiency burners, oxy-fuel combustion and modern furnace design techniques.

The processes of cleaning the steel surface employ a number of different chemicals including acids such as nitric and hydrofluoric acids. This gives rise to different environmental issues, like a significant acid consumption and the emission of nitrates (NO3) to effluent waters. A number of techniques are available to minimise the consumption of chemicals and subsequent emissions to water. The choice of system used is dependent on the size and type of pickling process used.

In the UK and Sweden acid retardation systems are employed for the major coil and plate pickling operations. In Tornio, there are two OPAR (Outokumpu Pickling Acid Recovery) units that recover metals from the pickling acids, so that the acids can be re-used. Most recently, an electrodialysis unit has been installed in Nyby to reduce the discharge of nitrates by nitric acid recycling.

Pickling operations employing mixtures of nitric and hydrofluoric acids result in the formation of NOx. Where significant quantities of NOx could be emitted, it is now possible to fit abatement systems that use hydrogen peroxide or Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) techniques to control the releases. The SCR is a process in which nitrogen oxides (NOx) are removed by the injection of ammonia (NH3) into the fuel gas (SCR-unit is shown in the picture).