ArcelorMittal’s Belgium facility is converting carbon-rich industrial emissions into fuel-grade ethanol using leading carbon recycling technology developed by LanzaTech.
Jan 3, 2024
ArcelorMittal S.A., the global leading integrated steel and mining company and LanzaTech Global, Inc., the carbon recycling company transforming above-ground carbon into sustainable fuels, chemicals, materials & protein, have reached a significant milestone in their decarbonization journey.
ArcelorMittal’s Steelanol facility at Ghent, Belgium, which is converting carbon-rich industrial emissions from its blast furnace into fuel-grade ethanol using leading carbon recycling technology developed by LanzaTech, has achieved a production milestone whereby ethanol volumes reached a level which supports shipping by barge.
Ethanol production commenced in 2023, and the facility is a first-of-its-kind for the European steel industry. The produced ethanol can be sold directly into fuel markets, or further purified or converted for use in a wide array of consumer products such as apparel, personal care, and packaging.
LanzaTech took title to the first barge shipment earlier this month, and the ethanol is en route to be purified and sold to LanzaTech’s CarbonSmartä customers in fragrance and home care markets. This achievement progresses LanzaTech and ArcelorMittal’s joint strategy to develop a thriving European supply chain for sustainable ethanol produced in the region.
“This production milestone represents an important step toward treating industrial emissions as raw materials—rather than waste—to profitably support European supply chains in the creation of everyday products. ArcelorMittal has long been a leader in decarbonizing the steel industry, and we look forward to building upon this achievement and expanding our operations together as we continue to advance a circular economy,” said Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, Chair and CEO of LanzaTech.
“We are excited to have reached another significant milestone in our decarbonisation journey: the first shipment of ethanol by barge. This achievement marks the next crucial step after the successful first industrial and commercial production of ethanol, made possible by the dedication of our team and our strong partnership with LanzaTech,” said Manfred Van Vlierberghe, CEO of ArcelorMittal Belgium.
ArcelorMittal’s Steelanol plant has the capacity to produce 80 million litres annually of advanced ethanol, around half of the total current demand in Belgium. It expects to reduce carbon emissions from the Gent plant by 125,000 tonnes annually, thereby advancing the EU’s 2030 Climate Target Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by the end of the decade. Project partners include Primetals Technologies and E4tech (which has since been acquired by ERM), with support from CINEA, the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency.
