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

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ArcelorMittal in Belgium

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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

Text and images: ArcelorMittal Construction

Offering aesthetic appeal, high performance, sustainability, and safety, carrier panel solutions are becoming increasingly popular with architects and specifiers seeking the perfect facade for their projects.

The facade, a complex part of the building

As buildings account for roughly 40% of global final energy use, sourcing sustainable ways to construct buildings with optimised energy performance is of increasing importance (researchgate). A building’s facade directly impacts the overall environmental footprint of a development, as well as the end users' comfort.

Designing a building’s facade means meeting complex aesthetic and technical demands while taking into account humidity, light, appearance, and weather-resistance as well as multiple safety, engineering, and energy efficiency regulations. A carrier panel system enables project specifiers to meet all of these needs due to its factory guaranteed performance and versatility.

What is a carrier panel solution?

A carrier panel facade solution consists of a metal faced sandwich panel, which works as both insulation and carrying structure; a fixing system to connect the outer skin of the building to the panel; an air spacer; and an external skin, which is the visible part of the facade. It is an all-in-one solution that offers architects and specifiers a way to lower a building’s energy demand whilst remaining functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Carrier panel systems also allow for reduced building costs due to the ease and speed with which a facade can be installed, repaired, or revamped. Carrier panel systems also deliver a great deal of architectural freedom as they are suited to a range of external skins, textures, profiles, and custom colours. For architects and specifiers, this means almost any design is possible - without compromising on build quality and technical performance.

What are the benefits of a carrier panel system?

Carrier panel systems are designed for projects which need to utilise the benefits of a sandwich panel wall whilst also offering creative freedom for the facade design. The system provides office buildings, collective residential buildings, and leisure and shopping facilities with functional and visually attractive external cladding. There are even more benefits to carrier panel systems:

•     Faster build times

By removing the need for conventional building materials and methods, insulation, and some subframe structures, carrier panel systems ensure the application of facades is simple and quick. By rendering a building wind and waterproof immediately after application is completed, the internal fit-out can be started immediately. All-in-one systems also mean fewer complex products, suppliers, and deliveries, so your project can stay on schedule.

•     More sustainable

Quality insulated sandwich panels and cladding boast excellent sustainability credentials. In addition to faster build times, the speed and simplicity of installation cuts down significantly on emissions in the construction phase, while their light weight reduces emissions in transit. Predominantly made from steel, the embodied energy of carrier panels (that is, the energy required to produce them) is also low. For example, 40% of the steel used by ArcelorMittal Construction comes from recycled sources. Finally, thanks largely to their reduced thermal bridging and superior air tightness and insulation, carrier panels result in fewer emissions over the course of a building’s lifecycle.

•     High performance

From excellent thermal performance to fire safety, air tightness, sound insulation, and load-bearing qualities, carrier panel systems offer long-lasting, durable construction solutions which can be adapted to any design with total flexibility of external skins, colours, profiles, and textures.

ArcelorMittal Construction carrier panel solutions: freedom to design

As a leading manufacturer of smart building systems, ArcelorMittal Construction’s carrier panel solutions offer sustainability, technical performance, and aesthetic appeal as well as complete architectural freedom for designers and specifiers. Our interlocking carrier panel systems are also designed for fast and easy application and regulations compliance.

Archisol® is a carrier panel with visible fixings that has been developed with high performance in mind to meet new standards in thermal insulation: the system combines superior weather and heat resistance with outstanding airtightness and low thermal transmittance. Other benefits include very good mechanical resistance to wind actions, allowing for larger spans.

Also available is Promisol® S Hybrid, a double skin facade solution with hidden fixings and (similarly to Archisol®) outstanding thermal insulation and durability. In addition, Promisol® S Hybrid has superb fire reaction standards and is Fire EI30 certified.

Both solutions deliver limitless aesthetic freedom of design; have no complex proprietary system or installation guidelines; and, unlike other systems available on the market, use sustainable organic coatings.

Our technical support team studies every project case by case to provide the best solutions in terms of mechanical resistance and thermal insulation. We will also assist you in choosing the most suitable aesthetical solution from our broad range of external cladding products, from architectural profiles and sidings to cassette systems - all with a wide choice of finishes and colours.

In March 2021, Air Liquide and ArcelorMittal signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the objective of implementing solutions to produce low-carbon steel in Dunkirk. The two companies are joining forces to transform the steel production process through the development of innovative solutions involving low-carbon hydrogen and CO2 capture technologies. This partnership is the first step towards the creation of a new low-carbon hydrogen and CO2 capture technologies ecosystem in this major industrial basin.

CO2 reduction in the Dunkirk industrial basin

The MoU signed by Air Liquide and ArcelorMittal aims to contribute significantly to the decarbonisation of the Dunkirk industrial basin. In the context of the Paris Agreement and the European Commission’s Green Deal, and in line with Air Liquide and ArcelorMittal’s commitments to energy transition, the project will reduce yearly CO2 emissions from ArcelorMittal’s steel making facilities in Dunkirk by 2.85 Mt by 2030. Air Liquide and ArcelorMittal have jointly applied for large projects funding under the Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) scheme for hydrogen. Funding from European and/or French schemes supporting decarbonisation is key to the implementation of the project.

Low-carbon technology

ArcelorMittal is ready to implement an innovative production unit on its Dunkirk site, combining two steel production technologies – DRI (direct reduced iron) and submerged arc furnace – in dimensions never seen before. As a low-carbon technology, the DRI and submerged arc furnace unit will enable the production of steel with lower CO2 emissions. This initiative was the subject of a preliminary study announced by ArcelorMittal last October. It comes in addition to the initiatives already implemented by ArcelorMittal on its Dunkirk site to lower its CO2 emissions.

Air Liquide will support this strategic initiative through the massive supply of low-carbon hydrogen and the implementation of CO2 capture technologies in Dunkirk, one of Air Liquide's historical industrial basins in France. The Air Liquide group has developed a unique expertise both for hydrogen all along the value chain, from production and storage to distribution, as well as CO2 capture technologies. Leveraging this know-how and in line with its Climate objectives, Air Liquide is committed to developing sustainable solutions supporting its customers in the steel industry to reduce carbon emissions.

Partnership

This partnership between Air Liquide and ArcelorMittal is a first step towards the creation of an ecosystem at the forefront of low-carbon hydrogen and CO2 capture solutions that will be a source of competitiveness and attractiveness for various players in the Dunkirk industrial and port basin.

François Jackow, Executive Vice-President of Air Liquide and a member of the Executive Committee supervising Europe Industries activities, said:
"Decarbonising the Industry is at the heart of Air Liquide’s strategy and we are committed to accompanying our customers with a wide range of innovative solutions. The Group will contribute its unique expertise along the entire hydrogen supply chain developed over the last 50 years and its mastery of CO2 capture technologies. The time to act is now, and Air Liquide is pleased to support ArcelorMittal in this project aiming to decarbonise a major industrial basin."

Geert van Poelvoorde, CEO of ArcelorMittal Europe, said:
"This project represents a major technological breakthrough and confirms ArcelorMittal’s willingness to profoundly and sustainably transform our production technologies, in line with our objectives to reduce our CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. We count on the strong support of the French and European authorities in order to decarbonise the steel industry and are hopeful that this project will receive the support it needs to deliver large-scale CO2 emissions savings. The partnership with Air Liquide will enable us to further accelerate the decarbonisation of our steel production and contribute to the creation of a low carbon industrial and port basin."

Text:
ArcelorMittal Corporate Communications

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ArcelorMittal