Anglo-Australian
miner Rio Tinto has reached a memorandum of understanding (MOU ) with China’s steel producer Shougang Group to explore low-carbon
solutions for the steel industry.
The duo will promote
research, design and deployment of decarbonisation tools for the steel value
chain.
Under the MOU , Rio Tinto and Shougang will focus on
blast furnace (BF) and basic oxygen furnace (BOF) optimisation, low-carbon
sintering technology, and carbon capture and utilisation (CCU).
Rio Tinto said in a
statement: “This partnership with Shougang underlines Rio Tinto ’s strategic commitment to
partner with customers on steel decarbonisation pathways and to invest in
technologies that could deliver reductions in steelmaking carbon intensity.”
The partners will initially
focus on BF slag heat recovery, BOF slag utilisation, CCU and low-carbon
sintering technology.
They will use their
respective capabilities in technologies, research and development, equipment,
processes, logistics and industry coordination to help reduce carbon emissions
and the impacts of global climate change.
The latest agreement builds
on the almost three-decade-long trade and technical partner relationship
between Rio Tinto and Shougang.
Rio Tinto chief commercial officer Alf
Barrios highlighted that steel is a vital material for low-carbon
infrastructure and economic growth.