ArcelorMittal Contrecoeur Tests Green Hydrogen to Produce DRI
05/03/2022 - ArcelorMittal announced that it has successfully tested a partial replacement of natural gas with green hydrogen in the production of direct reduced iron (DRI) at its steel plant in Contrecoeur, Que., Canada, according to Bloomberg.
The goal of the test was to analyze the replacement of natural gas with green hydrogen in the iron ore reduction process. During the initial test, 6.8% of natural gas was replaced with green hydrogen during a 24-hour period, which resulted in a measurable reduction in CO2 emissions.
The green hydrogen used in the test was produced by a third-party-owned electrolyzer and then transported to Contrecoeur.
Bloomberg reports more than 75% of ArcelorMittal Long Products Canada's overall CO2 emissions come from the iron ore reduction process.
The company is evaluating the possibility of carrying out further tests in the coming months by increasing the use of green hydrogen at the DRI plant.
"We have just demonstrated that Quebec can become a global pioneer in the production of low-CO2 steel, by reducing its greenhouse gas emissions,” said ArcelorMittal Long Products Canada president and chief executive François Perras.
