Pittsburgh-based United States Steel Corporation (U. S. Steel) and CarbonFree, a carbon capture technology company, recently signed a 20-year agreement to capture carbon emissions from U. S. Steel’s Gary Works Blast Furnaces in Indiana.
CarbonFree will use its SkyCycle technology to capture and mineralize up to 50,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. Under the agreement, this may be expanded in the future. Construction is expected to begin as early as this summer with operations expected to begin in 2026.
The technology captures carbon emissions from hard-to-abate industrial sources and converts them into a carbon-neutral version of calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is an ingredient used in many items including building products, paint, paper, personal care, and plastics.
“Innovating to capture carbon at an integrated mill is the latest example of how steel is enabling a more sustainable future,” Scott Buckiso, U. S. Steel senior vice president and chief manufacturing officer, said. “Moreover, U. S. Steel has a history of ‘firsts’ that we’re confidently building on. Using SkyCycle technology for the first project of its kind in North America should benefit the community for generations to come.”
U. S. Steel has set a goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.