A seamless drawn smooth tube made of copper alloys is pressed at the MPG (Mendener Präzisionsrohr GmbH) tubes plant in Menden, western Germany, on June 18, 2026. MPG Tubes, fairly typical among "Mittelstand" small- and medium-sized businesses in Europe's top economy, faces a huge challenge to heat metal to 1,500C without producing any of the key greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Its foundry is partially electrified but still uses two gas-fired furnaces to reach the temperatures needed to create tubes with a perfectly smooth finish, used in areas including construction of power plants, the automotive industry and shipbuilding. (Photo by SASCHA SCHUERMANN / AFP via Getty Images)