ArcelorMittal Gent is hosting the first industrial trial of
climate tech company D-CRBN’s new technology, using a carbon capture unit
manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It provides high-purity carbon
dioxide (CO2) for the D-CRBN unit, which converts the CO2 captured at
ArcelorMittal’s plant into carbon monoxide for use in steel and chemical
production.
This is the
first industrial testing of D-CRBN’s plasma technology, making ArcelorMittal
Gent in Belgium the first steel plant in the world to trial the process, which
has been designed to reduce CO2 emissions.
This new
trial expands the current multi-year carbon capture pilot taking place at the
site to test the feasibility of full-scale deployment of MHI's carbon capture
technology (Advanced KM CDR Process™).
D-CRBN, an Antwerp-based company, has developed a technology that uses plasma
to convert carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide. Using renewable electricity,
the plasma is used to break the carbon-oxygen bond, thereby converting CO2 into
carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide can be used as a reductant in the
steelmaking process – replacing part of the coke or metallurgical coal used in
the blast furnace – or as a basic ingredient in Gent’s Steelanol plant, for
chemicals or alternative fuel production.
The D-CRBN
process requires high-purity CO2, which can be provided by MHI’s carbon capture
unit, currently being used to capture blast furnace off-gases, and off-gases
from the hot strip mill reheating furnace, in Gent.
A pipeline
between MHI’s carbon capture unit and D-CRBN’s unit was connected on July 1st,
to test the feasibility of using the CO2 captured by the MHI technology as a
feedstock for D-CRBN. The industrial pilot is an important stage of testing
D-CRBN’s technology, to make sure that any impurities that accompany the CO2
produced during steelmaking do not have a detrimental effect on the process and
product gas.
ArcelorMittal is pursuing a number of decarbonization routes in order to
achieve its climate targets, which include a 35% reduction in CO2 emissions
from ArcelorMittal Europe, by 2030. One of these routes is Smart Carbon
steelmaking, which uses circular carbon in the blast furnace, carbon capture
and storage (CCS) or utilization (CCU).
Manfred Van
Vlierberghe, CEO, ArcelorMittal Belgium, said, “We are proud to be part of this
unique carbon capture and usage trial in Gent, which is part of our strategy to
develop the Smart Carbon steelmaking route in ArcelorMittal Belgium. Our team
of engineers has worked hard with our partners to reach this stage – and we are
thrilled that our new partner, D-CRBN, have created this new CCU technology
here in Belgium.”.
Gill
Scheltjens, CEO at D-CRBN, said, “D-CRBN is thrilled to partner with
ArcelorMittal and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries on this innovative carbon capture
and utilization (CCU) pilot project. Electrifying steel production is
challenging, but D-CRBN's process, which recycles CO2 emissions back into CO,
offers a cost-effective and scalable solution. Our technology can electrify and
decarbonize 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.
Moreover, some of the CO produced can be supplied to neighboring chemical
companies as feedstock.”
MHI's Senior
Vice President (CCUS) of GX (Green Transformation) Solutions, Tatsuto Nagayasu,
said, “CCUS will play a critical role in decarbonizing existing assets in the
steel industry. Our collaboration with ArcelorMittal and D-CRBN in Belgium
provides another tool for the industry to reduce its carbon footprint —
capturing emissions, converting them into a valuable feedstock, and feeding
them back into the process. This initiative demonstrates our commitment to
sustainable practices and innovative solutions for a greener future.”
ArcelorMittal,
MHI, BHP and Mitsubishi Development Pty Ltd (Mitsubishi Development) announced
in May 2024 that they had successfully started operating a pilot carbon capture
unit on the blast furnace off-gas at ArcelorMittal Gent in Belgium. In October
2022, the four parties announced their collaboration on a multi-year trial of
MHI’s carbon capture technology (Advanced KM CDR ProcessTM) at multiple CO2
emission points, starting at the Gent steelmaking site.