In an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050, Reuters-BHP Group has signed an agreement with an engineering and project management firm Hatch to design an electric smelting furnace pilot plant in Australia.
The facility will help reduce carbon dioxide intensity in steel production by using iron ore from the Pilbara mines. The plant is able to produce steel from iron ore using renewable electricity and hydrogen, replacing coking coal.
Large mining companies are partnering with technology firms and others in the supply chain to find ways to reduce their carbon footprint and reduce emissions in some of the most energy-intensive industries.
As a result of the CO 2 emission reduction roadmaps, the steel industry has identified ESF as a viable option to use a wider range of raw materials, and steel companies are looking to build commercial-scale ESF plants as part of their CO 2 emissions reduction roadmaps, said Vandita Pant, chief commercial officer, BHP.
In October of last year, the mining giant teamed up with steelmaker ArcelorMittal to test a new technology to reduce carbon emissions in steelmaking at two plants in Belgium and North America.