ArcelorMittal is testing a new technology for carbon utilization in Belgium

The world’s first test of a new technology for utilizing carbon emissions from steel production has begun at ArcelorMittal’s Ghent (Belgium) plant. This is stated in the message of the company.

ArcelorMittal and Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) are working with D-CRBN to test a new technology to convert CO2 captured at the plant into carbon monoxide, which can be used in steel and chemical production.

D-CRBN, based in Antwerp, Belgium, has developed a technology that uses plasma to convert carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide using renewable energy.

The plasma breaks the bond between carbon and oxygen, thus converting CO2 into carbon monoxide. The latter can be used as a reducing agent in the steelmaking process, replacing some of the coke or coking coal used in the blast furnace, or as a key ingredient at the Steelanol plant in Ghent to produce chemicals or alternative fuels.

«Converting CO2 to CO for steelmaking will limit the need for green hydrogen in the future and reduce the cost of emission-free products. In addition, part of the carbon monoxide produced can be supplied to chemical companies as a raw material,» said Gill Scheltjens, CEO of D-CRBN.

As noted, this is the first commercial test of D-CRBN plasma technology, making ArcelorMittal Gent the first steelmaker in the world to test this process, which is designed to reduce CO2 emissions.

The new step expands on an ongoing multi-year carbon capture pilot project at the plant to test the feasibility of a full-scale implementation of MHI’s Advanced KM CDR Process.

The D-CRBN process requires high-purity carbon, which can be provided by the MHI unit currently used to capture the blast furnace and reheat furnace exhaust gases from the hot strip mill in Ghent.

The pipeline between the MHI and D-CRBN was connected on July 1 this year to test the possibility of using the captured CO2 as a feedstock for the latter.

ArcelorMittal is implementing a number of decarbonization projects to achieve its climate goals, which include a 35% reduction in carbon emissions in the European division by 2030.

In May 2024, ArcelorMittal, MHI and partners announced that they had started operating a pilot carbon capture unit at a blast furnace at the Ghent steel plant.