Japanese steelmaker JFE Steel Corporation has announced that it will construct new test facilities for two research and development projects to develop technologies that will use carbon in steelmaking processes, with the aim to become carbon neutral by 2050. With these facilities, the company will make use of steelmaking byproducts, including steel slag and combustible gasses such as blast furnace gas.
One of the projects is aimed at optimizing a system that uses carbon for methanol synthesis. The construction of the test facility at the JFE Steel West Japan Works in the Fukuyama area will begin this year and will enter operation in 2023. R&D works will focus on the commercial launch of a large-scale carbon capture and utilization process to be incorporated in a to-be-decided steelmaking method.
The other project is researching and developing carbon-fixing technology based on fast, large-quantity carbonation of steel slag. The construction at the JFE Steel East Japan Works in the Chiba area will begin next year and the facilities will enter operation in 2024.
The demonstration testing at the two facilities will be completed within 2025.