ArcelorMittal, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, BHP and Mitsubishi Development Pty Ltd (MDP) have successfully completed the first phase of a carbon capture trial at ArcelorMittal’s integrated steelmaking facility in Gent, Belgium. Using MHI’s Advanced KM CDR Process™, the pilot demonstrated carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture rates exceeding 90% from blast furnace gas, generating operational and engineering data to assess the technology’s potential for wider deployment.
The first phase involved more than 4,500 hours of operational testing and focused on capturing CO₂ from a portion of the blast furnace off-gas. The trial demonstrated that the technology could operate under challenging steelmaking conditions, where process gas contains dust, sulphur compounds and other contaminants.
Assessments based on the results indicate that applying the technology at full scale to pre-combustion blast furnace off-gas could reduce CO₂ intensity at the Gent site by up to 24%. Extending carbon capture to multiple emission sources across the plant could further support progress towards near-zero-emissions steelmaking.
Frederik Van De Velde, CEO of ArcelorMittal Belgium, said the first phase had provided important data on incorporating carbon capture into existing steel plants. He thanked the participating companies and employees involved in the trial and welcomed the next stage of testing.
The second phase will evaluate CO₂ capture from gases produced by the hot strip mill reheating furnace. This furnace heats steel slabs before they are rolled into thinner sheets and uses a blend of by-product gases from steelmaking, alongside natural gas. Testing this source will allow the partners to assess performance under a different and more variable flue-gas profile.
Tatsuto Nagayasu, Senior Vice President and Head of CCUS at MHI, said the trial demonstrated the Advanced KM CDR Process™ could operate under demanding blast furnace gas conditions. He added that the next phase would provide further insight into integrating carbon capture across multiple emission sources.
Dr Ben Ellis, Vice President Marketing Sustainability at BHP, described the results as promising for reducing emissions from blast furnace steelmaking, while Tadashi Mizuno, Managing Director and CEO of MDP, said carbon capture could contribute to the sector’s long-term decarbonisation alongside energy efficiency improvements and the use of high-quality raw materials.
ArcelorMittal is facilitating the trial at Gent, while MHI is providing its proprietary technology and leading process engineering and technical evaluation. BHP and MDP are funding the work, reflecting their roles in supplying steelmaking raw materials to ArcelorMittal’s European operations.
The results will inform further engineering and deployment studies for potential commercial-scale applications. The collaboration aims to establish whether carbon capture can be expanded across existing integrated steelworks to help reduce emissions while supporting continued use of blast furnace production.
ArcelorMittal is a global steel and mining company operating in 60 countries, with primary steelmaking operations in 14 countries. Its customers span automotive, engineering, construction and machinery industries. The company focuses on developing steelmaking processes and products that use less energy, reduce carbon emissions and support the transition to a lower-carbon economy.
