Roadmap to 2050
The hybrid model approach of Smart Carbon and Innovative DRI steelmaking in Ghent fits into ArcelorMittal Belgium’s CO2 roadmap which consists of three axes:
- Further improvement of material and energy efficiency as well as increased scrap usage
- The implementation of Smart Carbon technologies (replacing fossil carbon with circular and waste carbon; reforming waste gas into useful chemical compounds and separating CO2 for reuse or storage)
- Hydrogen - replacing carbon as a reductant with hydrogen (ultimately green hydrogen, when it is available commercially)
XCarb® towards carbon neutral steel
New investment in decarbonisation technologies at ArcelorMittal Gent plant
ArcelorMittal Belgium will reduce CO2 emissions by 3.9 million tonnes per year by 2030 by building a 2.5 million-tonne direct reduced iron (DRI) plant and two electric furnaces to operate alongside its state-of-the-art blast furnace that is ready to take waste wood and plastics as a substitute for fossil carbon.
ArcelorMittal signs letter of intent with the governments of Belgium and Flanders, supporting €1.1 billion investment in decarbonisation technologies at ArcelorMittal Gent plant
ArcelorMittal has announced that it has signed a letter of intent with the Governments of Belgium and Flanders, supporting a €1.1 billion project to build a 2.5 million-tonne DRI plant at its site in Ghent, as well as two new electric furnaces.
A DRI plant uses natural gas, and potentially hydrogen, instead of coal to reduce iron ore, resulting in a large reduction in CO2 emissions compared with blast furnace ironmaking. The two electric furnaces will melt the DRI and scrap steel, which will then be transformed in the steel shop into steel slabs and then further processed into finished products.
Once the DRI and electric furnaces are built, there will be a transition period during which production will move gradually from blast furnace A to the DRI and electric furnaces, after which blast furnace A will be closed as it reaches the end of its life. By 2030, this will result in a reduction of around three million tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.
The support of both the national and the Flanders governments in this project is crucial given the significant cost associated with the transition to carbon-neutral steelmaking.
Approval from the European Commission for the funding support will also be required.
Smart Carbon and DRI synergies
The DRI plant will operate alongside Gent’s blast furnace B, which restarted production in March 2021 following a significant investment of €195 million.
The combination of the new DRI plant alongside a sustainable, state-of-the-art blast furnace enables the creation of unique synergies in ArcelorMittal Belgium’s roadmap to climate-neutral steelmaking.
Combined, the various initiatives will enable ArcelorMittal Belgium to reduce its CO2 emissions by 3.9 million tonnes per year by 2030 (on a scope 1 and 2 basis, compared with 2018), which is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from 848 172 cars being driven for a year.
As a result, ArcelorMittal Belgium will make a significant contribution to ArcelorMittal Europe’s ambition to reduce CO2 emissions intensity by 35% by 2030 and to become carbon neutral by 2050.
Text:
ArcelorMittal
Images:
ArcelorMittal Belgium
ArcelorMittal Europe
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New jumbo shapes available!
ArcelorMittal has recently launched two new record wide flange shapes of up to 1488kg/m (1000lbs/ft)! W14x930 and W14x1000 are approved per ASTM A6 and available in A992 and A913 grades.
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These impressive hot rolled sections, rolled at ArcelorMittal's Differdange mill in Luxembourg, are part of the XCarb® recycled and renewably produced steel offer as they are produced from 100% scrap in an electric arc furnace powered by renewable energy.
The expanded range of jumbo shapes offers an efficient alternative to built-up or plated sections for applications where loads or stiffness demands are too large for conventional rolled sections.
Text:
Constructalia
Image:
ArcelorMittal
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Jumbo solutions for complex challenges: W14x930 and W14x1000
The circularity of steel
Circularity is certainly not a new concept in the world of steel, and it covers much more than simply recycling scrap steel…
The 3 Rs
Reduce. One way we may protect primary materials and improve circularity is by using less steel. Advanced high strength steels, such as ArcelorMittal’s Amstrong®, Amstrong® Ultra, and HISTAR®, are all being utilised to optimise weight in construction, reducing the amount of steel required.
Reuse. Upon reaching the end of its life, steel can be fully recycled and reused so it makes sense to reuse it when possible. This reduces carbon emissions as no new steel needs to be produced.
Recycle. When it comes to recycling, the fact that steel is magnetic is a major benefit. Steel is more easily extracted from waste streams than any other material. In doing this, it is guaranteed that almost all steel is collected and recycled into new steel products.
Circularity of by-products
Natural resource preservation can benefit from the by-products of industries, such as the steel industry. With the help of ArcelorMittal's Smart Carbon technology, carbon from waste streams, such as responsibly sourced construction wood waste, can partially replace the coal used in blast furnaces.
The Smart Carbon technology also allows for the integration of carbon capture and reutilisation (CCU) or storage (CCS) technologies. It is possible to recover and reuse carbon emissions from the steelmaking process, thereby potentially producing a product with zero carbon emissions. According to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the International Energy Agency, these technologies are essential to reaching net-zero steel production by 2050.
ArcelorMittal Gent in Belgium has recently commissioned the Torero plant. The project will reduce the amount of fossil coal required by transforming waste wood into bio-coal for use in the blast furnace. Using bio-coal results in a bio-gas which can be transformed into ethanol at the plant’s Steelanol (Carbalyst) facility. The bio-ethanol can then be used in the production of a variety of chemical products, such as transport fuels, which will help the chemical sector circumvent the use of fossil fuels.
ArcelorMittal’s Innovative DRI (direct reduced iron) pathway is another technology being developed. DRI, along with recycled steel, is a key metallic input in an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF). DRI is commonly produced using natural gas; however, Innovative DRI instead uses an alternate, clean energy source such as hydrogen. It is possible to create zero-carbon DRI if the hydrogen is produced using renewable electricity.
Steel will continue to play a significant role in the circular economy of the future – benefitting society, the environment, the economy, and our future – with the help of these initiatives.
Text:
Constructalia
Images:
Mark Mercer and ArcelorMittal
Related link(s)
Download the 2024 Sections & Merchant bars sales programme!
Published: 3 April 2024
ArcelorMittal Europe - Long Products has released the 2024 edition of its complete sales programme of hot rolled steel sections and merchant bars, including XCarb® recycled and renewably produced sections and merchant bars.
Visit our Document library to download your copy.