ArcelorMittal puts natural gas replacement to the test
by CM Staff
ArcelorMittal says it aims to reduce its CO2 emissions intensity by 25 per cent by 2030 on a global scale and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
MONTREAL — In its experimental endeavour to reduce CO2 emissions, ArcelorMittal replaced natural gas with green hydrogen for its iron ore reduction process — and it approves of the results.
This experiment follows the steel manufacturer’s ambitions to “lead” the decarbonization of the steel industry.
In the first stage of the test, operators at the company’s Contrecoeur, Que. facility replaced 6.8 per cent of natural gas with green hydrogen during a 24-hour period. The company reports that this replacement contributed to a measurable reduction in CO2 emissions.
The company also explained in its report that the green hydrogen applied in the test was supplied through a third-party owned electrolyser.
Arcelor Mittal says it is aware that iron ore reduction process alone accounts for more than 75 per cent of the company’s CO2 emissions. As such, the company reports the results of this test as significant to their decarbonization goals.
AMLPC says it may conduct more tests in the coming months by increasing the use of green hydrogen at the DRI plant, adding that this could potentially reduce CO2 emissions in the surrounding community by several hundred thousand tonnes per year.
The potential use of electrolysers to produce green hydrogen in Contrecoeur will depend on certain criteria, particularly the availability of sufficient electricity to power the units.
“We have just demonstrated that Quebec can become a global pioneer in the production of low CO2 steel, by reducing its greenhouse gas emissions,” said AMLPC’s president and CEO, François Perras in a statement.
