In a statement, U. S. Steel said it has a non-bonding memorandum of understanding with CarbonFree Chemicals Holdings, a Texas company that has developed patented technologies to capture carbon emissions from single-point sources and convert the gas into usable substances. 

U. S. Steel said the agreement establishes a framework for discussions regarding the formation of a commercial venture. The hope is to sign a definitive agreement before the end of the year, and, if all goes according to plan, start operations in 2025. 

“We are eager to enter the next phase of discussions with CarbonFree to explore the possibility of meaningful CO₂ emission reductions in our operations in a capital efficient manner,” said U. S. Steel chief strategy and sustainability officer Richard L. Fruehauf. 

“Working with CarbonFree could be a meaningful step in our efforts to decarbonize the Gary Works plant while developing technology and knowhow that we could apply to other facilities within our footprint. These potential collaborations are critical to U. S. Steel as we continue our mission of providing profitable steel solutions for people and planet.”

The Gary Works project would utilize CarbonFree’s SkyCycle technology, which captures carbon emissions and converts the waste to precipitated calcium carbonate and hydrochloric acid. 

“As we aim to widely introduce and scale our technology to industrial facilities across the globe, we are thrilled for the possibility of bringing our SkyCycle technology’s carbon capture capabilities to U. S. Steel’s Gary Works plant, one of the largest integrated steel mills in North America,” said CarbonFree chief executive Martin Keighley. “We are committed to working closely with U. S. Steel to achieve their sustainability goals and to further our mission of helping to enable the world’s transition to net zero carbon emissions.”