"We are excited that after several years of research and engineering, we are now progressing with the largest project of its kind within the ArcelorMittal group. This is the first application of a viable new business case where reuse of carbon is possible at large scale. We will achieve significant carbon reduction and we hope that this will lead us to a lower carbon economy," said Carl De Maré, ArcelorMittal’s vice president of technology strategy. 

ArcelorMittal is working a company called LanzaTech, which has developed a process that uses microbes to convert waste gas into ethanol. ArcelorMittal said it expects the EUR150 million plant at its Ghent facility to produce 80 million liters (about 500,000 barrels) of ethanol per year. Commissioning is set for mid-2020.

Although the ArcelorMittal plant will be the first such facility in Europe, LanzaTech already has begun operating one in partnership with China’s Shougang Group. That plant, at the Shougang Jingtang Iron & Steel United mill in the Hebei province, started up on 3 May.