US Steel and CarbonFree, supplier of carbon capture technology, have signed a definitive agreement to capture carbon emissions generated from the North American steelmaker’s Gary Works blast furnaces in a first-of-its-kind project.
The project will use CarbonFree’s SkyCycle™ technology to capture and mineralize up to 50kt of carbon dioxide per year, equivalent to emissions produced by nearly 12,000 passenger cars annually.
Construction on the SkyCycle plant in the Gary Works facility is expected to commence later this year, with operations projected to begin in 2026. The agreement has a term of 20 years following its in-service date.
CarbonFree’s patented SkyCycle solution captures carbon emissions from hard-to-abate industrial sources before they enter the atmosphere and converts them into a carbon-neutral version of calcium carbonate.
''US Steel is setting a precedent for how manufacturers can and must proactively manage their carbon emissions, and CarbonFree is honoured to play a role in this legacy.”
Martin Keighley, CEO of CarbonFree
“US Steel is setting a precedent for how manufacturers can and must proactively manage their carbon emissions, and CarbonFree is honoured to play a role in this legacy,” said Martin Keighley, CEO of CarbonFree. “At CarbonFree, we are pioneering profitable carbon capture utilization through disruptive specialty chemical manufacturing using waste carbon dioxide as a primary feedstock. As carbon capture continues to be recognized as an indispensable solution on the path to carbon neutrality for carbon-intensive industries, we look forward to helping US Steel achieve its decarbonization goals while providing economic and environmental benefits to the city of Gary and state of Indiana.”
In addition to capturing carbon dioxide, CarbonFree will use slag produced by the blast furnace operation as part of the calcium carbonate production process.
“Innovating to capture carbon at an integrated mill is the latest example of how steel is enabling a more sustainable future.”
Scott Buckiso, senior vice president and chief manufacturing officer, US Steel
“Innovating to capture carbon at an integrated mill is the latest example of how steel is enabling a more sustainable future,” said Scott Buckiso, senior vice president and chief manufacturing officer, US Steel. “Moreover, US Steel has a history of ‘firsts’ that we’re confidently building on. Using SkyCycle technology for the first project of its kind in North America should benefit the community for generations to come.”