ArcelorMittal Belgium converts wood waste into biochar to reduce carbon emissions

Luxembourg steelmaker ArcelorMittal has announced that its subsidiary ArcelorMittal Belgium has commissioned the €35 million Torero plant. The plant is the first of its kind in the European steel industry to convert wood waste into biochar to reduce fossil coal consumption.

The Torero plant will process 88,000 tonnes of wood waste per year into 37,500 tonnes of biochar. The biochar will be used in the blast furnace at the Ghent smelter, reducing the use of fossil coal in the blast furnace. The project will thus reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions at the plant by 112,500 tonnes.