ArcelorMittal Gent carbon capture trial achieves over 90% CO₂ capture rate

ArcelorMittal and its partners Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), BHP and Mitsubishi Development (MDP) have completed the first phase of a carbon capture trial at ArcelorMittal's integrated steelworks in Gent, Belgium.

The pilot project achieved CO₂ capture rates exceeding 90% from blast furnace off-gas during more than 4,500 hours of operational testing. According to the project partners, the results demonstrate the technical feasibility of applying MHI's Advanced KM CDR Process to blast furnace operations.

Full-scale application could reduce emissions intensity by 24%

The trial focused on capturing CO₂ from a portion of the blast furnace off-gas, which contains dust, sulphur compounds and other contaminants that complicate carbon capture.

Based on the results, the partners estimate that full-scale application of the technology to blast furnace off-gas before combustion could reduce the Gent steelworks' overall CO₂ emissions intensity by up to 24%.

However, the process captures only the CO₂ already present in the gas. The remaining carbon monoxide can still be used for heat and electricity generation, releasing additional CO₂ when combusted.

The trial has provided operational and engineering data to assess the potential deployment of the technology on an industrial scale.

Second phase targets hot strip mill emissions

The next stage will investigate carbon capture from the hot strip mill's reheating furnace, extending the technology to another emissions source within the steelworks.

Unlike the first phase, which treated blast furnace gas before combustion, the second phase will focus on post-combustion flue gases.

The reheating furnace operates using a mixture of coke oven gas, blast furnace gas, basic oxygen furnace gas and natural gas. Testing will assess the technology's performance under more variable gas conditions.

According to the partners, combining carbon capture across multiple processes could provide a pathway towards near-zero emissions intensity for blast furnace-based steelmaking.

Partners assess potential industrial deployment

ArcelorMittal is hosting the demonstration, while MHI is responsible for the carbon capture technology, engineering and technical evaluation. BHP and MDP are providing financial support.

The results of both phases will inform further engineering studies and assessments of potential commercial-scale installations.

The project is particularly relevant to conventional integrated steelmaking, which continues to account for a substantial share of global steel production. Carbon capture could offer an additional emissions reduction option for existing blast furnace operations alongside alternative low-carbon steelmaking technologies.

Source and Photo: ArcelorMittal