The challenge we face
The world faces enormous challenges in the 21st century: from climate change to increasing pressures on natural resources, from the lifestyle expectations of those in the developed world to tackling poverty at the base of the pyramid in emerging markets. These issues have a direct impact on businesses as well as governments, civil society, and individuals.
Businesses are expected to report more openly, act more responsibly, protect the environment, and support their local communities. All of these factors pose risks to companies as large as ours if we fail to manage them. But they also present us with enormous opportunities from the commercial potential of new greener products to the innovation potential of a new generation of people entering our industry.
Related news & technical articles
Decarbonising ArcelorMittal’s Spanish operations
21 July 2021A memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on 13 July 2021 between ArcelorMittal and the Spanish government demonstrates mutual intent to work together towards a decarbonised Spanish economy – a necessity for industries such as steel to successfully transition to carbon neutrality. As a result, new manufacturing processes at ArcelorMittal’s Spanish operations will include a new direct reduced iron (DRI) unit and electric arc furnace (EAF) installation in Gijón that will reduce carbon emissions at ArcelorMittal’s Spanish operations by approximately 50%. The DRI installation in Gijón will also enable ArcelorMittal Sestao to become the world’s first full-scale zero carbon emissions* steel plant.
Corporate NewsArcelorMittal makes first investment through its XCarb™ innovation fund
22 June 2021Initial $10 million investment part of broader partnership established with HeliogenArcelorMittal recently announced the completion of its first XCarb™ innovation fund investment since launching the initiative in March 2021. The company has invested an initial $10 million in Heliogen, a renewable energy technology company which focusses on ‘unlocking the power of sunlight to replace fossil fuels.’
Corporate NewsArcelorMittal Belgium’s blast furnace of the future
17 June 2021ArcelorMittal Belgium officially inaugurated its blast furnace B in Ghent in March 2021 following a significant investment to renew the furnace. The result is one of the world’s most modern and efficient blast furnaces both in terms of productivity and CO2 emissions.
Corporate NewsArcelorMittal plans major investment in German sites to accelerate CO2 emissions reduction
25 May 2021ArcelorMittal is planning to build a large-scale industrial plant for the direct reduction of iron ore (DRI) and electric arc furnace (EAF)-based steelmaking at its site in Bremen, as well as an innovative DRI pilot plant in addition to an EAF in Eisenhüttenstadt, following the announcement of the planned expansion of Germany’s hydrogen infrastructure.
Corporate News
Decarbonising ArcelorMittal’s Spanish operations
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on 13 July 2021 between ArcelorMittal and the Spanish government demonstrates mutual intent to work together towards a decarbonised Spanish economy – a necessity for industries such as steel to successfully transition to carbon neutrality. As a result, new manufacturing processes at ArcelorMittal’s Spanish operations will include a new direct reduced iron (DRI) unit and electric arc furnace (EAF) installation in Gijón that will reduce carbon emissions at ArcelorMittal’s Spanish operations by approximately 50%. The DRI installation in Gijón will also enable ArcelorMittal Sestao to become the world’s first full-scale zero carbon emissions* steel plant.
ArcelorMittal signs MoU with the Spanish Government supporting €1 billion investment in decarbonisation technologies
The MoU signed with the Spanish Government will see a €1 billion investment in decarbonisation technologies at ArcelorMittal Asturias’ plant in Gijón. The investments will reduce CO2 emissions at ArcelorMittal’s Spanish operations by up to 4.8 million tonnes, which represents approximately 50% of emissions, within the next five years**.
At the heart of the plan is a 2.3 million-tonne green hydrogen DRI unit, complemented by a 1.1 million-tonne hybrid EAF. This starts the transition of the Gijón plant away from the blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace steelmaking production route to the DRI-EAF production route, which carries a significantly lower carbon footprint. The new DRI - which will be the first of its kind in Spain - and EAF will be in production before the end of 2025, with construction anticipated to begin in 2022.
Expressing support for the plan, Spain’s Minister of Industry María Reyes Maroto stated that “the Government of Spain and the ArcelorMittal Group fully agree that the transition towards a decarbonised economy is an essential objective for Spain, and they both recognise the industrial, technological, and regulatory challenges that this transition poses for Spanish industry, as well as the opportunities it offers in terms of innovation and improved competitiveness.”
ArcelorMittal Sestao to become the world's first full-scale zero carbon emissions steel plant
Harnessing green hydrogen and renewable electricity, ArcelorMittal’s Sestao plant will become the world’s first full-scale zero carbon emissions* steel plant by 2025. This development is the result of the MoU that will see the construction of the green hydrogen DRI plant in Gijón. The Gijón DRI will feed the company’s Sestao plant, situated approximately 250km from Gijón, where production is already entirely from the EAF route.
By 2025, the Sestao plant – which manufactures a range of flat steel products for the construction sectors (among others) - will produce 1.6 million tonnes of zero carbon emissions steel by:
- Changing the metallic input by increasing the proportion of circular, recycled scrap, and using green hydrogen-produced DRI from Gijón in its two existing EAFs.
- Powering all steelmaking assets (EAFs, rolling mill, finishing lines) with renewable electricity.
- Introducing several key emerging technologies that will replace the small, remaining use of fossil fuel in the steelmaking process with carbon-neutral energy inputs, such as sustainable biomass or green hydrogen.
Speaking at the signing of the MoU in Gijón, Aditya Mittal, CEO ArcelorMittal, said that “it is widely understood that for the world to achieve net zero by 2050, faster progress over the next decade is essential. The MoU we have signed today will play an important role in doing exactly that. The construction of the new green hydrogen DRI plant in Gijón will not only enable us to reduce emissions from our Spanish operations by half but will also result in the world’s first full-scale zero carbon emissions steel plant in Sestao.”
Looking further ahead, ArcelorMittal has also committed to achieving net zero*** at the Sestao plant as soon as possible.
Text:
ArcelorMittal Europe Communications
Constructalia
Images and video:
ArcelorMittal
*On a Scope 1 and 2 basis.
**Should green hydrogen not be available at affordable rates by the end of 2025, natural gas would be used to power the DRI furnace. This would still result in a very significant reduction in CO2 emissions of 4 million tonnes - approximately 45%.
***Net zero meaning across Scopes 1, 2, and 3.
ArcelorMittal makes first investment through its XCarb™ innovation fund
Initial $10 million investment part of broader partnership established with Heliogen
ArcelorMittal recently announced the completion of its first XCarb™ innovation fund investment since launching the initiative in March 2021. The company has invested an initial $10 million in Heliogen, a renewable energy technology company which focusses on ‘unlocking the power of sunlight to replace fossil fuels.’
Fields of mirrors that concentrate and capture sunlight to produce heat, electricity, and clean fuels to help the steel industry’s transition to carbon-neutrality
Heliogen’s technology will harness solar energy by using a field of mirrors which will act as a multi-acre magnifying glass to concentrate and capture sunlight. The sunlight will subsequently be converted into heat (HelioHeat™), electricity (HelioPower™), or clean fuels (HelioFuel™).
All three Heliogen products have the potential to be applicable to the steelmaking process and support the steel industry’s transition to carbon-neutrality. HelioHeat™, for example, could be used to increase the temperature of air blown into a blast furnace, offsetting the use of fossil fuel. The Heliogen technology will also be capable of creating 100 per cent green hydrogen, which Heliogen is working to develop as its first HelioFuel™. Hydrogen sits at the heart of ArcelorMittal’s innovative-DRI technology pathway, which involves using hydrogen instead of natural gas as the reductant in the production of direct reduced iron.
In addition to the $10 million investment, ArcelorMittal and Heliogen have signed a Memorandum of Understanding which aims to evaluate the potential of Heliogen’s products in several of ArcelorMittal’s steel plants.
A promising partnership: breakthrough technologies to reach carbon neutrality
Commenting, Pinakin Chaubal, Chief Technology Officer, ArcelorMittal, said:
“Developing and deploying breakthrough technologies is at the heart of our climate action strategy. While our own efforts are progressing well, the objective of our XCarb™ Innovation fund is to extend our reach and support companies developing technologies which could assist us on our decarbonisation journey. The technology Heliogen is developing has the potential to do exactly that.
Moreover, the partnership we have established with Heliogen goes beyond investment. The MoU we have signed means we are actively exploring working with them to deploy their technologies in our steel plants, enhancing our ongoing programme of decarbonisation initiatives. Establishing partnerships of this kind has an important role to play in ensuring we succeed in our ambition to lead our industry’s efforts to decarbonise and reach carbon-neutrality by 2050.”
Bill Gross, CEO and Founder, Heliogen, added:
“The future of our planet and civilisation hinges on the global economy’s ability to shift from its reliance on fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy. We founded Heliogen to eliminate the need for fossil fuels in all sectors of the economy and to empower a sustainable future. We’re thrilled to welcome ArcelorMittal as an investor in the company.
We’re also excited to begin working with ArcelorMittal to explore how our technology can support its significant decarbonisation efforts. Heliogen’s Sunlight Refinery™, which will cost-effectively deliver 24/7 carbon-free energy in the form of heat, electricity, or hydrogen fuels at scale for the first time in history, was designed for use by a spectrum of industries, including steel. Together, ArcelorMittal and Heliogen can meaningfully help the world achieve carbon neutrality.”
Text:
ArcelorMittal Corporate Communications
Constructalia
Image:
ArcelorMittal
ArcelorMittal Belgium’s blast furnace of the future
ArcelorMittal Belgium officially inaugurated its blast furnace B in Ghent in March 2021 following a significant investment to renew the furnace. The result is one of the world’s most modern and efficient blast furnaces both in terms of productivity and CO2 emissions.
Steelmaking at the heart of the circular economy
The new blast furnace, which was given an optimal shape, was completely relined and is equipped with state-of-the-art automation systems. This investment will further enable steelmaking to be at the heart of the circular economy and help the company lower CO2 emissions and achieve its climate objectives through more efficient fuel consumption, the recycling of wood waste, and the injection of waste gases as well as end-of-life plastics.
State-of-the-art technology
As part of the project, the design of the renewed blast furnace was optimised to make the blast furnace process more efficient with expert teams from ArcelorMittal’s R&D centres in Spain and France working closely with ArcelorMittal Gent. Thanks to the relining, blast furnace B is now one of the most advanced blast furnaces worldwide with unrivalled productivity. The site’s Industrial IT, Automation, and Model department led the automation aspect of the project, switching to a new PLC platform with a modern user interface and extensive diagnostic facilities (on the basis of the measurement of temperature, pressure, etc.). Safety aspects were also thoroughly revised and enhanced. In addition, a new network infrastructure was put in place, the processing computer software was adapted, and the models were optimised for controlling the new blast furnace. Around 5000 tons of steel and 3000 tons of refractory material were used for the blast furnace relining and 265 kilometres of electric cables were drawn.
A circular vision of the future
The relining of the blast furnace will play a significant role in reducing the site’s CO2 emissions and achieving its climate objectives through, for example, more efficient fuel consumption. In addition, ArcelorMittal Belgium is committed to contributing to the EU’s ambitious climate objectives in the framework of The Green Deal. The Ghent relining project will contribute to ArcelorMittal Europe’s commitment to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030 compared with 2018. As a group, ArcelorMittal has an ambition to be climate neutral by 2050. These actions are also fully in line with the ArcelorMittal Group’s climate strategy as described in the Climate Action Report.
In the blast furnaces, ArcelorMittal Gent plans to replace fossil carbon with green and circular carbon and green and circular hydrogen. ‘Fresh’ raw materials will increasingly be replaced with waste products in an environmentally and economically feasible way. The Torero project, which will be commissioned in 2022, will allow for the pre-treating of waste wood from container parks to produce biocarbon suitable for the blast furnace process. There are also two projects running with plastic waste that could be injected into the blast furnaces in the form of powder or gas. The possibility of replacing fossil carbon with hydrogen is also being explored.
Text:
ArcelorMittal in Belgium
Constructalia
Images:
ArcelorMittal in Belgium
ArcelorMittal plans major investment in German sites to accelerate CO2 emissions reduction
ArcelorMittal is planning to build a large-scale industrial plant for the direct reduction of iron ore (DRI) and electric arc furnace (EAF)-based steelmaking at its site in Bremen, as well as an innovative DRI pilot plant in addition to an EAF in Eisenhüttenstadt, following the announcement of the planned expansion of Germany’s hydrogen infrastructure.
Green hydrogen
Using green hydrogen, up to 3.5 million tonnes of steel could be produced by the Bremen and Eisenhüttenstadt sites by 2030 with significantly lower CO2 emissions. Depending on the amount of hydrogen available, CO2 savings of more than 5 million tonnes could be possible. The technology conversion requires investments in the range of 1 to 1.5 billion euro.
"With our concept for the transformation of the plants in Bremen and Eisenhüttenstadt, we are accelerating the implementation of carbon neutral steel production. These projects have the potential to have a significant impact in reducing CO2 emissions in line with the European Union’s climate commitments. We are now asking for the necessary support and access to funding to make the implementation of our plans happen," said Reiner Blaschek, CEO of ArcelorMittal Flachstahl Deutschland.
In Germany, the group already operates Europe’s only DRI-EAF plant in Hamburg, where the switch to using hydrogen instead of natural gas in the iron ore reduction process is being prepared. The objective is to reach industrial commercial maturity of the technology by 2025, initially producing 100 000 tonnes of sponge iron a year.
Project implementation
To implement the projects, ArcelorMittal is planning to gradually adapt production in Bremen and Eisenhüttenstadt in order to be able to competitively manufacture carbon neutral, high-quality steel using hydrogen in the iron ore reduction process.
In 2021, two blast furnaces – one in Bremen and one in Eisenhüttenstadt – will be converted to inject natural gas, reducing the use of coal in the iron ore reduction process and thereby further reducing CO2 emissions.
As a next step, innovative DRI-EAF plants are to be set up at both locations. In Bremen, ArcelorMittal initially plans to use natural gas for the DRI and later hydrogen from electrolysis. The hydrogen is to be made available as part of the regional North German Clean Hydrogen Coastline network. The sponge iron produced in the Bremen DRI unit will initially supply the steelworks in Bremen and Eisenhüttenstadt until the regional hydrogen cluster in East Brandenburg can also supply the Eisenhüttenstadt site with sufficient hydrogen. In the transition phase, the additional hydrogen required in Eisenhüttenstadt will be generated from natural gas with the help of a pyrolysis plant that will be built on the steel plant’s premises. To secure the future supply of hydrogen, both sites are to be integrated into the European hydrogen network in the long term via the regional hydrogen networks.
ArcelorMittal goals
ArcelorMittal has set itself the goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 30 percent by 2030 in Europe and producing carbon neutral steel by 2050. To this end, ArcelorMittal is pioneering two breakthrough carbon neutral technology routes, Smart Carbon and an innovative DRI-based route.
Text:
ArcelorMittal
Constructalia
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ArcelorMittal
Green ArcelorMittal
We are committed to leading the way in which the world views steel and championing steel’s role in creating high quality, sustainable lifestyles for people all over the world.
Leading the way with 10 sustainable development outcomes
Our new sustainable development framework focusses on 10 outcomes we need to achieve for steel to be one of the world's most sustainable materials. Pursuing these outcomes, a result of both analysis and consultation, allows us to be better prepared to respond to long-term trends and manage our stakeholders’ expectations more effectively.
Useful information
MoreEnvironmental impacts of our products
Our local communities and stakeholders trust us to share the vital resources of air, land, and water because we operate responsibly and transparently, and we have clearly improved our impact.
We understand these impacts and work collaboratively to protect and enhance the natural capital we and our communities and partners rely on.
Developing greener steel products
Commercial designers and manufacturers, as well as end-users, choose steel for products that need strength and durability. They make that choice because they understand steel contributes to more a sustainable lifestyle.
Therefore, we are continuously designing more energy-efficient products using materials that can be re-used and recycled and produced using fewer resources and without negative consequences for the environment or society.