Skip to main content

Syngas technology trialled

A pilot is due to begin shortly into a project to capture and re-use carbon waste gases from the steelmaking process.

In July, ArcelorMittal and Sekisui Chemical announced a partnership to explore the potential to reduce dependence on fossil resources and contribute to the decarbonisation of steelmaking. The trial kicks off in the final quarter of this year.

In the project CO2, which would otherwise have been emitted, will be separated and recovered from carbon-rich waste gas from the steelmaking process. An innovative chemical process, developed by Sekisui Chemical, then converts the waste CO2 into syngas (carbon monoxide and hydrogen). The syngas then returned to the steelmaking process as an alternative reduction agent for iron ore, thereby lowering the volume of fossil resources required.

To date, producing carbon monoxide in large volumes from CO2 has been very challenging but the partnership aims to demonstrate the technology can be scaled up. It will be trialled over a three-year period at one of ArcelorMittal’s research and development laboratories in Asturias, Spain investment in the project is US$ 1.9 million (EUR 1.6 million).

Pinakin Chaubal, chief technology officer at ArcelorMittal, says: ‘This is an exciting albeit early stage technology which complements our existing carbon capture and re-use or storage technology (CCUS) initiatives. Successfully decarbonising steelmaking will involve multiple technologies and we expect CCUS technologies to have an important role to play.’

Don't hesitate to contact us to share your input and ideas. Subscribe to the magazine or (free) newsletter.

You might find this interesting too

The golden glow of e-scrap
Countdown to hi-tech sorting event
EU looks to STOPP plastic waste in packaging sector

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe now and get a full year for just €169 (normal rate is €225) Subscribe