ArcelorMittal and LanzaTech announce: Milestone for ethanol production and first shipment from flagship Steelanol in Ghent

LanzaTech the carbon-recycling company that converts above-ground carbon into renewable fuels, chemicals, materials and proteins, and ArcelorMittal, the world’s leading integrated steel and mining company, today announced that ethanol from ArcelorMittal’s commercial flagship Steelanol in Ghent, has reached a production milestone with ethanol volumes reaching significant levels enabling large-scale shipment by barge. Earlier this month, LanzaTech received the first delivery via barge, and now the ethanol is on its way to be purified and sold to LanzaTech’s CarbonSmartTM customers such as Coty. This realisation is a step forward in LanzaTech and ArcelorMittal’s joint strategy to develop a thriving European supply chain for sustainable ethanol produced in the region.

ArcelorMittal’s Steelanol plant converts carbon-rich industrial emissions from its blast furnace into fuel-grade ethanol using advanced carbon recycling technology developed by LanzaTech. Ethanol production began in 2023 and the production unit is the first of its kind for the European steel industry. The ethanol produced can be sold directly on fuel markets or further purified or converted for use in a wide range of consumer products such as clothing, personal care and packaging.

‘This production milestone marks an important step towards processing industrial emissions as raw materials – rather than waste – to profitably support European supply chains in creating everyday products,’ said Dr Jennifer Holmgren, president and CEO of LanzaTech. ‘Our mission at LanzaTech is to reuse carbon again and again, so that we don’t have to extract significant amounts of fossil carbon from the ground each time. Together with ArcelorMittal, we look forward to building on this realisation and expanding our business together as we continue to work towards a sustainable global circular economy.’

‘We are delighted to have achieved another important milestone in our transition to decarbonisation: the first delivery of ethanol by ship,’ said Manfred Van Vlierberghe, CEO of ArcelorMittal Belgium. ‘This achievement is the next essential step after the successful first industrial and commercial production of ethanol, achieved thanks to the dedication of our team and close collaboration with LanzaTech. With initiatives such as Steelanol, which converts carbon-rich gases into ethanol, and Torero, which produces biocoal from waste wood, we are already making significant progress in reducing CO2 emissions. However, addressing climate challenges requires a holistic approach, with sustainability initiatives such as energy efficiency, CCUS and electrification playing a key role alongside Steelanol. Together, we are committed to a clear roadmap to be climate neutral by 2050.’

ArcelorMittal’s Steelanol plant has the capacity to produce 80 million litres of advanced ethanol annually, about half of Belgium’s current total demand. The Steelanol plant should make it possible to reduce carbon emissions from the Gent site by 125,000 tonnes a year, contributing to the EU’s 2030 climate target plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by the end of the decade. Project partners include Primetals Technologies and E4tech (since acquired by ERM), with support from CINEA, the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency.