Steel Giant ArcelorMittal launched its €200m Carbon capture and utilization project at its steel plant in Ghent, Belgium on 8 December. 

Project partner LanzaTech is providing carbon recycling technology to convert carbon-rich waste gases from the steelmaking process and from waste biomass into advanced ethanol. 

Once reaching full capacity, the plant will produce up to 80m liters of advanced ethanol serving industries such as transport fuels, paints, plastics, clothing and even cosmetic perfume. 

The ethanol production will help the Ghent plant reduce its emissions by 125,000 tonnes per annum, claims ArcelorMittal. 

“This is an important step in the fight against climate change while safeguarding our future competitiveness and securing Belgian jobs,” said Alexander De Croo, Prime Minister of Belgium while speaking at the launch event.

“By investing in clean energy technologies, ArcelorMittal is not only helping to lower carbon emissions, but it is also setting the standard for the industry.”

“Given the scale of the challenge, it’s important to be open to all technology solutions and certainly, at ArcelorMittal we are open to all technologies that can take steelmaking to near zero.”

“The investments we are planning here at Ghent are a great testament to that. It’s also become abundantly clear that collaboration and partnership is essential to deliver the systems-wide change we need to reach zero, as this project demonstrates,” he added.