Australian miner BHP Billiton has announced that it has signed an agreement with global engineering company Hatch to design and construct an electric smelting furnace pilot (ESF) plant in Australia.
The plant, which will produce steel from iron ore from BHP’s Pilbara mines using renewable electricity and hydrogen replacing coking coal is expected to emit over 80 percent less carbon emissions compared to the conventional blast furnace steel process.
“The steel industry has identified the ESF as a viable option to use a wider range of raw materials and steel companies globally are looking to build commercial-scale ESF plants as part of their CO2 emission reduction roadmaps,” Vandita Pant, BHP’s chief commercial officer, said.