ArcelorMittal gets € 75m grant for developing low-carbon steelmaking tech

18 / 05 / 2020

By Marwa Nassar - -

ArcelorMittal – the world’s leading steel and mining company – gets a € 75 million grant from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to accomplish € 215 m projects in Belgium for developing low-carbon steelmaking technologies in line with the EU’s climate objectives.

The two ground-breaking projects – ‘Steelanol’ and ‘Torero’ – of ArcelorMittal will considerably reduce carbon emissions by converting waste and by-products into valuable new products.

The 165-million-euro Steelanol project is meant to work on capturing waste gases from the blast furnace and biologically convert them into recycled-carbonethanol, the first commercial product of ArcelorMittal’s Carbalyst family of recycled carbon chemicals.

The ethanol produced can be blended for use as a liquid fuel.

Once complete, the plant is expected to produce up to 80 million liters of recycled-carbon ethanol a year.

The new installation will create up to 500 construction jobs over the next two years and 20 to 30 new permanent direct jobs. The project is expected to be completed in 2022.

The 50-million-euro Torero project will work on converting waste wood into bio-coal, partially replacing the coal currently injected into the blast furnace.

In the early stage, the Torero plant will be able to convert up to 60,000 tons of waste wood into around 40,000 tons of bio-coal every year. This volume will be doubled in a second stage of the project, after the start of the first Torero reactor.

The new installation will create around 70 external jobs and will create around ten new permanent direct jobs for the operation of this installation. The plant, which is being developed in partnership with Torr-Coal, Renewi, Joanneum Research Centre, Graz University and Chalmers Technical University, is expected to be operational by the end of 2022.

EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle said: “Even in the current difficult times, Europe keeps its ambitious climate targets and the EIB, the EU climate bank, is committed to continuing to be a key partner. In particular in the steel industry, it means finding new ways to power machines and processes that are essential for reducing carbon emissions. Thanks to a strong partnership with the European Commission, the EIB is very pleased to support the Steelanol and Torero projects in their efforts to work on more climate friendly and competitive processes.”

Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: “This EU backed loan will enable us to demonstrate that European steelmaking plants can be competitive while reducing carbon emissions and help us attain our climate goals. More than this, if we invest in European research, education and innovation we can demonstrate the global leadership that can secure and strengthen these industries and the people and communities they support for future generations.”

Geert Van Poelvoorde, CEO ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products said: “To date we have committed more than €250 million to developing and testing technology that will help make steelmaking carbon neutral, leveraging our R&D facilities around the world. These two projects are our first large-scale implementations of new breakthrough solutions, as part of our commitment to reduce carbon emissions and transform steel production. With the EIB and European Commission’s support, we can scale up technologies and transition steel to carbon neutrality, and thereby play a significant role in helping Europe achieve its green ambitions.”