Steelanol H2020 Energy project inauguration on 8 December

On Thursday 8 December, ArcelorMittal inaugurated its flagship carbon capture and utilisation project, which includes the development and testing of a technology that allows for the capture and reuse of a portion of carbon emitted by the steel industry. This is considered a first of its kind installation in the European steel industry and the EU-funded Steelanol project will help reduce CO2 emissions in the ArcelorMittal steel plant in Ghent. Steelanol involves a €200 million plant that will utilise a carbon recycling technology developed by project partner LanzaTech, the CCU plant uses biocatalysts to transform carbon-rich blast furnace waste gases and from waste biomass into ethanol, which can then be used as a building block to produce a variety of chemical products including transport fuels, paints, plastics, clothing and even cosmetic perfume, hence helping to support the decarbonization efforts of the chemical sector as well. This technology therefore provides the unique opportunity to recycle the carbon from industrial exhaust rich gases that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere. By proving the compatibility of this technology with the high quality requirements of fuel grade fuels, the partners will demonstrate the application potential of this process – that could potentially lead to the displacement of a high amount of fossil fuels in the transport sector and beyond.

The inauguration of the Steelanol plant in Ghent was attended by over 200 people, including the Executive Chairman of ArcelorMittal Lakshmi Mittal, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, Minister-President of Flanders Jan Jambon, members of the belgian and Flemish governments, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank Kris Peeters, Geert Van Poelvoorde, CEO of ArcelorMittal Europe and our CINEA Director, Dirk Beckers.

More event and project information.