PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Diversified major BHP has struck a deal with Chinese steelmaker HBIS Group Co to trial pilot-scale demonstrations of carbon capture and utilisation technologies at HBIS’ steel operations in China.
The trial will develop and test technologies that can be integrated into steel production processes to reduce the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. These include Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption, an alternative technology to capture the CO2, and two utilisation technologies to sequester the CO2.
In addition, BHP will support HBIS in developing and deploying absorptive desulfurisation at HBIS ZXHT hydrogen metallurgy demonstration project in Xuanhua, in Hebei province, China, intended to enable the utilisation of 60 000 t/y of captured CO2 from the direct reduced iron process in the food or industrial sectors.
“Our multi-faceted partnership with HBIS will now include pilot testing of novel carbon capture technology at their operating sites in Hebei, and builds on the separate carbon capture trial with ArcelorMittal, Mitsubishi Heavy Industry and Mitsubishi Development, announced in October 2022,” BHP chief commercial officer Vandita Pant said.
“Hebei province accounts for around 20% of China’s reported steel production and represents one of the locations in which we aim to support future carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) initiatives. With our support, HBIS will also be pilot testing options for the utilisation of captured CO2 for the production of saleable products and sequestration in waste slag.”
This new agreement expands on the workstreams envisaged in the $15-million memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by BHP and HBIS in 2021, together with the Phase 1 research and development work announced in 2022 with HBIS and University of Science and Technology Beijing. In separate work under the MoU, BHP has also supported HBIS in Enhanced Lump trials, aimed at developing processes for improving direct feed iron-ore lump use to achieve incremental reductions in CO2 emissions intensity of steel production, at one of the steelmaker’s plants in Hebei.
“This collaboration between BHP and HBIS, a leader in the global steel industry and an important customer for our iron-ore, will provide a strong example for the industry to follow towards the wider deployment of CCUS and towards achieving major reductions in the CO2 emission intensity of steel production,” said BHP CEO Mike Henry.
“This joint programme demonstrates a strengthening of our partnership, as we progress ambitions established in our 2021 MoU and shows a willingness of the parties to advance innovative technologies that are fit for purpose for steel.”