Anglo American has locked in a partnership that will see the launch of a new technology aimed at developing and commercialising carbon recycling technology for steelmaking.
The University of Birmingham (UOB) and venture-builder Cambridge Future Tech have been engaged to work with the miner and will build on innovations made at UOB’s School of Chemical Engineering.
UOB’s Professor Yulong Ding and Dr Harriet Kildahl have pioneered an in-process carbon recycling method with the use of a double perovskite material.
The use of the material enables the in-process splitting of carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide at considerably lower temperatures than current methods.
The carbon monoxide could then be recycled in a closed loop as a substitute for coal or coke currently used in the steelmaking process, significantly reducing the volume of carbon dioxide emissions.
Cambridge Future Tech, working with Anglo American, will lead the spin-out and development of the technology, dubbed PeroCycle, aiming to de-risk its path to commercial applications.
“Anglo American has long sought to help decarbonise the steelmaking sector – from providing our premium iron ore to global steelmakers, to investing in our Ubuntu fleet of LNG dual-fuelled bulk ore carriers,” Anglo American marketing business chief executive officer Matt Walker said.
“This new investment to commercialise a novel carbon recycling approach aligns with our ambition to reduce our Scope 3 emissions and help catalyse a lower carbon steelmaking industry through the power of innovation and partnership.”
Anglo American is touted to be the world’s third largest exporter of steelmaking coal to customers in Asia, Europe and South America.
The miner’s Australian-based steelmaking coal business includes mines across Queensland, along with additional development projects and joint-venture interests.
Anglo currently has two discovery projects in north west Queensland and one discovery project in Western Australia, with early stage project generation activities across the country.
