The steel industry produces 7-9% of global CO₂ emissions — approximately 2.6 billion tonnes annually. With demand projected to grow 15% by 2050, decarbonization isn't optional; it's existential. Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is one of three primary pathways steelmakers are pursuing, alongside hydrogen-based DRI and increased scrap/EAF production. The reality is nuanced: CCUS currently captures just 0.1% of global emissions despite decades of implementation, there are zero commercial-scale CCUS plants operating on blast furnaces anywhere in the world, and the only operational steel CCUS facility (Al Reyadah, UAE) captured just 26.6% of its plant's emissions in 2023.
Yet CCUS remains part of the conversation because 70% of global steel is still made via blast furnace, and the transition to hydrogen-DRI will take decades. ArcelorMittal operates a CCU facility at its Gent plant in Belgium and is designing capture systems for 50-70% of BF gas CO₂ at Dunkirk. Tata Steel commissioned a 5-tonne/day capture plant at Jamshedpur. Post-combustion capture costs range from $47-76/tCO₂, and pilot projects demonstrate 80-90% capture efficiency. For steel plants that will operate blast furnaces through 2040-2050, CCUS may be a bridge technology — and the maintenance infrastructure to support it starts with a robust CMMS platform like Oxmaint. Schedule a demo.
7-9% of Global CO₂.
One Industry. Multiple Pathways.
CCUS isn't the only answer — but for blast furnaces operating through 2050, it may be part of the bridge to net zero.
Three Pathways to Low-Carbon Steel
The steel industry isn't converging on a single solution — it's pursuing three parallel technology pathways, each with different timelines, costs, and applicability depending on plant type and geography:
Hydrogen-Based DRI + EAF
Replaces coal entirely with hydrogen as reductant. HYBRIT (SSAB/LKAB/Vattenfall) delivered first fossil-free steel. ArcelorMittal Hamburg testing 100% H₂ DRI at industrial scale. H2 Green Steel targeting 2.5 Mtpa by 2025.
CCUS on Existing BF-BOF
Captures CO₂ from blast furnace gas and other emission points. ArcelorMittal Gent has operational CCU; Dunkirk designing 1 Mtpa capture. Tata Steel Jamshedpur piloting 5 t/day. Multiple capture points needed per BF site increase complexity and cost.
Scrap-Based EAF + Renewables
Recycling scrap steel in electric arc furnaces powered by renewable electricity. Already the lowest-carbon commercial route. Limited by scrap supply and quality requirements for certain steel grades. Nucor retrofitting DRI with CC in Louisiana.
CCUS Technology Options for Steel Plants
When CCUS is pursued, the capture technology must match the emission source. A blast furnace steel plant has multiple CO₂-emitting processes, each requiring different approaches:
Chemical Absorption from Flue Gas
Captures CO₂ from blast furnace gas after combustion using amine-based solvents. Most mature technology for steel applications. ArcelorMittal-MHI pilot at Gent uses this approach. Cost: $47-76/tCO₂. Challenge: BF gas has relatively low CO₂ concentration (20-27%), requiring large volumes of solvent and significant energy for regeneration.
Shift Reaction + CO₂ Separation
Converts CO in blast furnace gas to CO₂ via water-gas shift reaction, then captures the concentrated CO₂ stream. Higher capture efficiency because CO₂ concentration is elevated before separation. Well-suited for integration with DRI processes using natural gas where CO₂ is already concentrated in top gas.
Pure Oxygen Replaces Air
Burns fuel in pure oxygen instead of air, producing a flue gas with very high CO₂ concentration (80%+) that's easier to capture. Eliminates nitrogen dilution. Challenge: oxygen production via cryogenic air separation accounts for 50-70% of incremental system cost. Cost: CO₂ avoidance potentially exceeding $40/tCO₂.
BF Gas Recirculation + CO₂ Removal
Removes CO₂ from blast furnace top gas and recirculates the remaining CO and H₂ back into the furnace as reducing agents. Reduces coke consumption by 15-25% while producing a concentrated CO₂ stream for storage. Tested at LKAB's experimental blast furnace in Luleå, Sweden (ULCOS project).
Maintain the Infrastructure That Makes Decarbonization Possible
Whether your pathway is CCUS, hydrogen-DRI, or EAF conversion, every route depends on reliable equipment — compressors, heat exchangers, electrolyzers, furnaces, and thousands of supporting assets. Oxmaint keeps them running.
Real-World CCUS Projects in Steel
The global landscape of CCUS in steel is thin but instructive. Here's every significant project and what it tells us about feasibility:
Al Reyadah — Emirates Steel, UAE
World's only commercial-scale steel CCUS. Gas-based DRI plant. Captured 26.6% of plant emissions in 2023. CO₂ used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Despite 7+ years of operation, no other commercial DRI-CCUS plants have been built. Emirates Steel now pivoting to green hydrogen DRI pilot.
Capture: 0.8 Mtpa | Since: 2016ArcelorMittal — Gent, Belgium
One industrial-scale CCU facility operational, converting BF gas CO₂ into bioethanol (Steelanol / Carbalyst project). Two additional pilot projects underway. Also designing 1 Mtpa capture system at Dunkirk, France — would capture ~8% of total plant emissions. Using MHI capture technology.
Capture: Pilot scale | Partner: MHITata Steel — Jamshedpur, India
Commissioned 5-tonne/day carbon capture plant on blast furnace gas. Key milestone for India's steel decarbonization. Provided critical data on technical feasibility of capturing CO₂ directly from BF gas. Informing scale-up decisions for larger deployment.
Capture: 5 t/day pilot | BF gas sourceNucor — Louisiana, USA
Retrofitting DRI facility with carbon capture. One of very few US steel CCUS projects. Leveraging 45Q tax credits ($85/tCO₂). DRI top gas is a more concentrated CO₂ source than BF gas, making capture more economically viable at this site.
Using: 45Q tax credits | DRI retrofitThe Maintenance Challenge: Keeping CCUS Running
A CCUS system adds an entire new process layer to an already complex steel plant. Every component requires systematic maintenance to ensure capture rates stay on target and the system doesn't become a reliability bottleneck:
Amine Solvent Systems
Absorption columns, stripper towers, reboilers, condensers. Solvent degradation monitoring, corrosion management in amine circuits, regular solvent quality testing and replacement. Heat exchanger fouling is the #1 maintenance issue.
CO₂ Compressors
Multi-stage compressors raising CO₂ to pipeline pressure (100-150 bar). Vibration monitoring, seal integrity, inter-stage cooler maintenance. Single compressor failure can halt entire capture system. Redundancy planning critical.
Gas Treatment & Cooling
Flue gas desulfurization, particulate removal, gas cooling before capture. BF gas contains sulfur compounds, dust, and alkalis that poison amine solvents. Pre-treatment reliability directly determines capture system uptime.
Pipeline & Storage Infrastructure
CO₂ transport pipelines, injection wells, monitoring equipment. Pipeline corrosion prevention (wet CO₂ is highly corrosive), leak detection systems, wellhead integrity monitoring, pressure management. Accounts for ~25% of total project costs.
Monitoring & Instrumentation
CO₂ flow meters, concentration analyzers, pressure transmitters, temperature sensors across capture train. Calibration schedules, sensor replacement, data integrity verification. IEEFA noted Sleipner over-reported capture rates for years due to faulty monitoring.
Energy Systems
CCUS adds significant parasitic energy load — heat for solvent regeneration, power for compressors. Steam supply systems, waste heat recovery, power distribution. Energy penalty management is key to keeping capture costs below carbon price thresholds.
New Technology. Same Need for Reliability.
CCUS adds compressors, heat exchangers, solvent systems, and pipelines to your maintenance scope. Oxmaint tracks every asset, schedules every PM, and ensures your capture system runs at design rates — not at the 26% that makes the technology look unviable.
Frequently Asked Questions
How effective is carbon capture for steel production?
Results so far are modest. The world's only commercial-scale steel CCUS plant (Al Reyadah, UAE) captured just 26.6% of its plant's emissions in 2023. There are zero commercial-scale CCUS plants on blast furnaces anywhere in the world. CCUS currently captures just 0.1% of global emissions. However, pilot projects by ArcelorMittal and Tata Steel demonstrate 80-90% capture efficiency at smaller scales. The technology works — the challenge is economics, scale, and maintaining capture rates over time.
How much does CCUS cost for steel plants?
Post-combustion capture costs range from $47-76/tCO₂. Capital costs run $100-300/tCO₂ capacity, with operating costs of $20-50/tCO₂. A major obstacle is that BF-BOF plants have multiple emission points, requiring several capture systems per site, significantly increasing total cost. U.S. 45Q tax credits at $85/tCO₂ can make projects viable in the US. The EU carbon price must sustain above capture cost for European projects to pencil out.
Is hydrogen-DRI better than CCUS for steel decarbonization?
The industry is voting with its capital: the 2030 DRI pipeline has reached 96 Mtpa while commercial BF-CCUS remains at just 1 Mtpa. HYBRIT delivered fossil-free steel, H2 Green Steel targets 2.5 Mtpa, and ArcelorMittal has 8 full-scale low-carbon projects announced. However, even H₂-DRI won't eliminate all emissions — residual CO₂ from alloying carbon and EAF electrodes may require up to 0.5 tCO₂/t of steel capture (ArcelorMittal estimate). Both technologies likely play a role.
What maintenance does a CCUS system require?
CCUS adds an entire process layer: amine absorption columns, stripper towers, reboilers, multi-stage CO₂ compressors, gas pre-treatment systems, and pipeline infrastructure. Key maintenance challenges include solvent degradation monitoring, heat exchanger fouling, compressor vibration analysis, pipeline corrosion prevention, and instrument calibration. IEEFA noted that Sleipner's CCUS over-reported capture rates for years due to faulty monitoring equipment — underscoring why robust instrumentation maintenance is essential.
What role does CMMS play in CCUS implementation?
CCUS systems are reliability-sensitive: a compressor failure or heat exchanger foul can drop capture rates from design targets to the 26% actually achieved at Al Reyadah. Oxmaint tracks every CCUS asset alongside existing steel plant equipment, schedules preventive maintenance on solvent systems, monitors compressor condition, manages instrument calibration, and provides the data to prove actual vs. designed capture performance — essential for regulatory compliance and carbon credit verification.
