ArcelorMittal has successfully inaugurated its flagship carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) project at an event attended by the prime minister of Belgium, members of the Belgian and Flemish governments, and ArcelorMittal executive chairman, Lakshmi Mittal.
The €200 million ‘Steelanol’ project is a first of its kind for the European steel industry, according to the company. Utilising carbon recycling technology developed by its project partner LanzaTech, the CCU plant uses biocatalysts to transform carbon-rich waste gases from the steelmaking process and from waste biomass into advanced ethanol, which can then be used as a building block to produce a variety of chemical products including transport fuels, paints, plastics, and clothing. The advanced ethanol will be jointly marketed by ArcelorMittal and LanzaTech under the Carbalyst® brand name.
Once production reaches full capacity the Steelanol plant will produce 80 million litres of advanced ethanol, almost half of the total current advanced ethanol demand for fuel mixing in Belgium. It aims to reduce annual carbon emissions from the Ghent plant by 125kt. Other partners involved in the Steelanol project are Primetals Technologies and E4tech.
''This is an important step in the fight against climate change while safeguarding our future competitiveness and securing Belgian jobs.''
Alexander De Croo, prime minister of Belgium
Speaking at the event, Alexander De Croo, prime minister of Belgium, said: “I am pleased to see ArcelorMittal is taking bold and innovative steps by decarbonizing its steel production at its new installation in Ghent. This is an important step in the fight against climate change while safeguarding our future competitiveness and securing Belgian jobs. By investing in clean energy technologies, ArcelorMittal is not only helping to lower carbon emissions, but it is also setting the standard for the industry. The only way forward is cleaner production that leads to better products.”
This is a steel plant which is embracing the latest innovative technologies...which is preparing for a future when green hydrogen will remove the need to use any fossil carbon.
Lakshmi Mittal, ArcelorMittal executive chairman
Lakshmi Mittal, ArcelorMittal executive chairman, said: “ArcelorMittal Ghent is widely regarded as one of the finest steel plants in Europe, staffed by talented, committed and forward-thinking people. We intend to ensure that reputation endures into the future and I believe the work being undertaken here lays the ground for what the steel plant of the future will look like. This is a steel plant which is embracing the latest innovative technologies; which is using sources of circular carbon; which captures and re-uses as many of its waste products as possible, recycling them into something of value; and which is preparing for a future when green hydrogen will remove the need to use any fossil carbon. It is a strong example of what is possible with energy, effort and of course, brilliant scientific minds.''