ArcelorMittal reveals roadmap to Dunkirk decarbonisation

ArcelorMittal is planning to cut its Dunkirk steelworks’ CO2 emissions by -33% by 2030. This is in line with its plan announced earlier this year to reach carbon neutrality on a global level by 2050, Kallanish learns from the company.

In a presentation on Dunkirk’s decarbonisation project to French industry minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher, the company revealed its roadmap to operating a green blast furnace. This will see steelmaking gas recycling replace fossil fuels and reduce emissions by -17%.

The plant will also capture CO2 to purify and liquify it, before reusing or storing it. The capture and restock project is expected to reduce carbon emissions by -8%. This will be done by doubling the plant’s current amount of recycled steel to 2 million tonnes/year without consuming more energy, ArcelorMittal explains.

“With these concrete developments, ArcelorMittal is committed to the decarbonisation of its steel production and the circular economy,” the firm states. “We are therefore fully in line with the objectives of the French government plan “France Relance” which accelerates the transformation of the French industry in terms of sovereignty and decarbonisation.”

Last month the company confirmed it is ramping up operations at its idled blast furnace no.3 in Dunkirk to target a full production restart in early September. The furnace was idled, together with BF2 in April, following the spread of coronavirus in Europe and the negative impact on steel demand. The Dunkirk integrated site has since only operated using one blast furnace, BF4 (see Kallanish passim).

Earlier this year ArcelorMittal announced its plan to cut CO2 emissions at all its European plants by -30% by 2030.