Excellent environmental achievements

ArcelorMittal Belgium possesses all installations required to transform raw materials into finished steel products. Due to the nature of our activities we inevitably have a certain impact on the environment. Thanks to our highly-qualified employees however, we are able to continuously optimise our processes and installations in order to keep this environmental impact as low as possible.

As a basic industry, we utilise large quantities of iron ore, fluxes, energy and water. One of the key elements in our environmental policy (Gent/Geel/Genk & Liège) is thus the efficient use of natural resources and energy. We work via the so-called blast furnace route, which is highly energy-intensive due to the nature of the process. However when it comes down to the consumption of energy we do manage to approach the theoretical minimum levels. This thanks to our excellent control of the process.

Looking at our energy efficiency, we can proudly say that we are one of the best achievers in the steel industry. During our processes, we utilise a significant amount of water. Water is needed for different purposes: as cooling water, as process water and for environmental applications.

As the steel production goes hand-in-hand with combusting processes, we closely monitor the air quality in our environment. Dust control has always been our main priority, but we also keep a close track of other emissions.

In order to maintain a structured approach of our environmental efforts as well as trying to improve our current environmental processes, we have implemented an environmental care system that meets up with the international ISO 14001 norm. The environmental awards we have received over the years, demonstrate that our efforts pay off.

Do you want to learn more on our environmental efforts? Read the Corporate Responsibility Report. Those living in a surrounding area can visit us during our Environmental meeting day.

ArcelorMittal Belgium has a passion for sustainability and circularity and plays a leading role in the industry regarding the climate transition.

ArcelorMittal Europe is actively implementing an action plan to reduce CO₂ emissions by 35% by 2030 compared to 2018 levels and to become climate neutral by 2050.  ArcelorMittal Belgium’s decarbonization efforts fit within this framework and can be summarized in three main areas:

1. The first pillar focuses on energy efficiency: eliminating energy losses, increasing scrap consumption, maximum reusing of residual heat and developing renewable energy.  Today ArcelorMittal Belgium has 87 MW of renewable energy capacity.  We are continuously seeking opportunities to further expand this capacity.
2. The second pillar is based on the circular use of carbon, Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU), and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).

• The use of waste wood from municipal waste collecting points through the Torero project is an example of this. The Torero plant is a first for the European steel industry to convert waste wood into bio-coal in order to reduce fossil coal consumption.  This plant will reduce annual carbon emissions by 112,500 tonnes and will convert 88,000 tonnes of waste wood into 37,500 tonnes of bio-coal each year.

• ArcelorMittal Belgium, in collaboration with Fluxys and North Sea Port, is working on a study for the construction of a CO₂ hub from which the captured CO₂ can be transported to permanent storage locations.

3. The third pillar is initially focused on electrification.  Following successful completion of the pre-FEED (front-end engineering design) stage last year, the project is currently in the FEED stage. Completion of the FEED stage, expected in the autumn 2024, will determine the industrial layout for the project, the implementation schedule and final budget, and confirm the viability of the project.

XCarb^® is a trademark registered by ArcelorMittal that represents the clear path taken by the company towards the decarbonisation of the steel production process. In Q3/2023 we organized the first electric truck transport of XCarb^® steel to customers took place.

ArcelorMittal Belgium has a passion for sustainability and circularity. We are heading to become the sustainable steel company of the future through the development of breakthrough technologies.  We warmly invite you to help us reduce CO₂ emissions, we are always looking for talented people who can make the difference !

Finally, some information about ETS

ArcelorMittal Belgium operates within the European Emission Trading System (ETS), which means that an emission allowance must be submitted for every ton of CO₂ emissions. Although ArcelorMittal Belgium ranks among the world’s best in terms of energy and CO₂ efficiency, we have to purchase about 20% of the CO₂ allowances.  The imported steel volumes in Europe currently do not pay CO₂ fees.  We are not asking for exceptions, but for a level playing field.  Global steel production amounts to approximately 1.9 billion tons per year, with around 140 million tons per year produced in Europe.  An effective design of CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) will be of crucial importance in order to restore a level playing field.