Ethanol was produced on an industrial scale for the first time at the Steelanol plant on the ArcelorMittal site in Ghent, Belgium. This represents an important milestone on the way to the full commissioning of this new system. The project is based on the collaboration of ArcelorMittal, LanzaTech, ERM and Primetals Technologies.
CO2 capture
The first European project for Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) is starting with Steelanol. The plant is connected to ArcelorMittal's blast furnaces in Ghent and biologically converts their carbon-rich exhaust gases into ethanol. The technology developed by LanzaTech works similarly to a brewery: specially cultured bacteria act as “biocatalysts” and convert the carbon-rich gas into sustainable raw materials such as ethanol. The Steelanol plant can reduce the annual CO2 emissions of the Ghent plant by up to 125,000 tons. The ethanol produced can be used as sustainable kerosene, in packaging and textile production or for perfumes and household cleaning products.
Accessibility of new markets
Blast furnace exhaust gases were safely discharged into the Steelanol plant for several weeks. The first industrial production of ethanol from one of the four bioreactors was then started. Production will be gradually ramped up over the coming months to reach the planned production capacity of 80 million liters of ethanol per year.
LanzaTech's carbon biorecycling technology not only enables the avoidance of CO2 emissions, the ethanol obtained from steel production can also be used to create new products, giving steel manufacturers access to markets beyond steel. Primetals Technologies and LanzaTech have been working together on new technologies for the decarbonization of the steel industry for over ten years. In the summer of 2023, the two companies extended their partnership for another ten years.