The pilot plant started operating at voestalpine’s steel mill in Linz, Austria, in the second quarter of this year.

The plant separates carbon dioxide from the flue gases resulting from iron making using an amine-based process designed by ANDRITZ. The captured CO2 is filled into large industrial gas bottles and delivered to an Austrian energy storage company that is investigating new ways of making it available for re-use in steel production, fostering a sustainable carbon circularity and reducing the need for fossil fuel.

The plant was ordered by the K1-MET metallurgical competence center, a leading research body working with national and international partners like voestalpine to address issues such as energy efficiency, circular economy, and climate-neutral metal production. It helps to gain experience in plant operation, investigate new absorption media, and optimize the process.

Michael Derntl of K1-MET says: “Successful pilot operation of the carbon capture plant will help us to take an important step towards using this technology at an industrial scale in the steel industry.”

With its carbon capture technology, ANDRITZ supports companies in decarbonizing their operations and creates the basis for storage or further processing and utilization of CO2. “As the availability of renewable energy and green hydrogen will not be sufficient to meet medium-term climate targets, carbon capture will play a key role in significantly reducing CO2 emissions in this transition phase,” says ANDRITZ CEO Joachim Schönbeck.