ArcelorMittal trial novel plasma technology for circular CO2 steelmaking

STEEL producer ArcelorMittal is trialling a novel technology that uses plasma to convert CO2 into carbon monoxide (CO) that can be used as feedstock for circular steelmaking.

In a multi-year project with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), ArcelorMittal is working with climate tech startup D-CRBN on its plasma technology, deploying it at its steel plant in Ghent, Belgium. It will be the first company in the world to trial the technology.

D-CRBN’s process requires high-purity CO2, which ArcelorMittal says will be provided via the newly installed carbon capture unit from MHI.

The steel producer aims to reduce its CO2 emissions by 35% by 2030, and expects Smart Carbon steelmaking, which uses circular carbon in blast furnaces, will be a large part of its efforts.

Manfred Van Vlierberghe, CEO of ArcelorMittal, said: “Our team of engineers has worked hard with our partners to reach this stage – and we are thrilled that our new partner, D-CRBN, has created this new CCU technology here in Belgium.”

The plasma process

D-CBRN’s plasma unit coverts CO2 into CO by breaking carbon-oxygen bonds using renewable electricity.

The unit is connected to MHI’s carbon capture unit via a pipeline to feed through CO2 the unit captures from Ghent’s blast furnace and hot strip mill reheating furnace.

Gill Scheltjens, CEO of D-CRBN, said: “Our technology can electrify and decarbonise existing blast furnaces and significantly reduce their coal use. The conversion of CO2 back into CO for steel production will limit the need for green hydrogen in the future and reduce the costs of emission-free products.”

North Sea carbon capture

Through its partnership with ArcelorMittal, MHI is trialling how its carbon capture technology can be incorporated into existing steel plants.

It hopes the technology can be used for multiple CO2 transport and storage projects in the North Sea region, a key component in the EU’s carbon capture efforts.

So far, five European countries have joined forces to facilitate cross border carbon capture and storage (CCS) at locations across the continent, including the North Sea.

After establishing the process with blast furnace off-gas, MHI and ArcelorMittal plan for the carbon capture unit to capture reformer flue gas from a Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) plant.