ArcelorMittal, in collaboration with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), BHP, and Mitsubishi Development Pty Ltd (Mitsubishi Development), has initiated the operation of a pilot carbon capture unit on the blast furnace off-gas at ArcelorMittal Gent in Belgium.

The pilot carbon capture unit is slated to run for one to two years in Gent, Belgium, aiming to assess the feasibility of advancing to full-scale deployment of the technology. If successful, the system would be capable of capturing a significant portion of the emissions from the Gent site. Engineers have been on-site since January, overseeing the assembly and commissioning of the unit.

In October 2022, the four parties unveiled their partnership for a multi-year trial of MHI's carbon capture technology (Advanced KM CDR Process™) at various carbon dioxide (CO2) emission sources, beginning with the Gent steelmaking facility. The pilot carbon capture unit will initially focus on testing blast furnace and reheating furnace gases and could potentially expand to capture steelmaking gases like reformer flue gas from a Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) plant.

The advancement of the carbon capture solution at Gent may support various CO2 transport and storage initiatives underway in the North Sea region, contributing to global technological solutions crucial for decarbonizing steel production. The EU aims to achieve an annual CO2 storage capacity of 50 million tonnes by 2030, as outlined in the proposed Net-Zero Industry Act. Additionally, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), CCUS technology must be applied to over 37 percent of primary steel production by 2050, equivalent to 399 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of CO2, to achieve the Net Zero Emissions scenario (Source: IEA Net Zero Roadmap - 2023 update).

In order to explore the integration of MHI's carbon capture technology into current steel plants, ArcelorMittal is spearheading the trial in Gent, Belgium. MHI is providing its exclusive carbon capture technology while also assisting in engineering studies. BHP and Mitsubishi Development, significant providers of high-quality steelmaking raw materials to ArcelorMittal's European operations, are offering financial backing for the trial.

The trial in Gent will be conducted in two phases. The initial phase focuses on separating and capturing CO2 from the blast furnace's top gas, aiming to achieve a daily capture rate of approximately 300kg of CO2. This phase presents a technical challenge due to the varying levels of contaminants present in the top gas. The second phase entails testing the separation and capture of CO2 from the off-gases produced in the hot strip mill reheating furnace. This furnace burns a combination of industrial gases, including coke gas, blast furnace gases, and natural gas.