ArcelorMittal Gent steel plant

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ArcelorMittal Gent steel plant, also known as ArcelorMittal Ghent, is a steel plant in Gent, Vlaanderen, Belgium that operates blast furnace (BF), basic oxygen furnace (BOF), electric arc furnace (EAF), and direct reduced iron (DRI) technology.

Location

The map below shows the exact location of the plant in Gent, Vlaanderen, Belgium:

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  • Location: John Kennedylaan 51, B-9042 Gent, Belgium
  • Coordinates (WGS 84): 51.169929, 3.804462 (exact)

Background

History

Traditionally the steelworks of Belgium had been concentrated in the southern half of the country, in Wallonia, close to the historic coal mining areas at the edge of the Rhenish Massif; which in part defined the area that came to be known as the Sillon industriel including the regions of Liege and Hainaut.[1]

In the 1920s the Luxembourg-based steel company ARBED began buying land next to the Ghent–Terneuzen Canal, and by 1932 the company had acquired 2.11km2. Economic depression in the 1930s, the second world war and its aftermath prevented plans for a new steel plant.[2] However by the 1950s the economic conditions had become favorable again, and the company began exploring the possibility of a plants' construction.[3]

At the beginning of the 1960s preliminary work began towards the construction of a new plant; the canal was to be dredged to enable Panamax size ships to use the canal, Arbed's land holding increased and on 27 April 1962 the European Coal and Steel Community approved the plants construction.[2] The company Siderurgie Maritime NV (Sidmar) was formed on 10 July 1962,[2] with a capital of 4.5 billion Belgian franc, of which 2 billion came from Arbed, as well as 1 billion from Cockerill-Sambre. Schneider, the Société Générale de Belgique, Compagnie Belge de Participations (COBEPA) and Compagnie Financière et Industrielle (COFININDUS) also backed the scheme, and loans were got from state banks.[4]

Amongst the steelworkers of the Walloon region the development was not so well received; in May 1960 union leader André Renaud declared it to be, "La guillotine de la Wallonie."[5]

Sidmar

Construction began in 1964, with a cold rolling mill completed in March 1966, and a hot rolling operational by the end of that year, the first blast furnace in 1967 and a second in 1968. Expansion continued in the early 1970s with a coking factory and second cold rolling mill.[3]

The 1973–75 recession caused a crisis in the global steel market in the mid-1970s. Though the company fared better than the southern Belgian steel producers,[6] investors other than Arbed disposed of their shares; Cockerill sold its 21.9% share to Arbed in 1975 due to its own financial problems, giving Arbed, which had previously increased its holding to 62.2% by 1973 a large majority shareholding of over 80%.[6]

By the beginning of the 1980s some re-investment and expansion started again; a continuous rolling mill in 1981, as well as acquiring stakes in ALZ, and Klöckner Stahl. In 1989 Sidmar's steel capacity represented 30% of total Belgian steel production.[7] In 1994 Sidmar acquired majority share ownership of Stahlwerke Bremen (formerly Klöckner Stahl, currently ArcelorMittal Bremen) from Klöckner.[8]

Further investment in the 1990s and 2000s gave the plant galvanising facilities (through a joint venture Galtec with Dutch steelmaker Hoogovens opened 1998,[9] and renamed Sidgal in 2002, followed by two more lines Sidgal 2 and Sidgal 3 in 2000.[10][11] and later the ability to continuous cast slab steel, as well as blast furnace expansion.[3]

In 2002, as part of Arbed the company became part of Arcelor, and was renamed Arcelor Ghent in 2006.[2] Under ArcelorMittal ownership production continued, as ArcelorMittal Ghent.[2]

Transition

In 2021, ArcelorMittal Belgium stated that it aims to decarbonize the Gent plant by 2030, and will reduce CO2 emissions by 3.9 million tonnes per year by building a 2.5 million-tonne direct reduced iron (DRI) plant and two electric furnaces at its Gent site, representing a 1.1 billion Euro investment.[12] Blast furnace A, one of two blast furnaces at the site, will be retired as it reaches the end of its current life, planned by 2030. Blast furnace B was heavily invested in in 2021 and will continue to operate.[13]

Low-emissions/green steelmaking

This steel plant is associated with a green steel project tracked in the Green Steel Tracker. Details about the project are included below.

Table 1: Green Steel Project Details

All references for the above data are available in the Green Steel Tracker.
Project 1 Project 2 Project 3
Project name Steelanol (also known as Carbalyst) Torero ArcelorMittal Belgium DRI
Company ArcelorMittal ArcelorMittal ArcelorMittal
Company has climate goals? Yes Yes Yes
Location Ghent, Belgium Ghent, Belgium Ghent, Belgium
Project website Site Site Not available
Project scale Demo Demo Full scale
Project status Operating Construction Announced
Year to be online 2022 2024 2030
Technology to be used CCU for BF-BOF Biomass for BF NG-DRI to H-DRI
Technology details CCU for ethanol production Biocoal for BF with CCS Planned gradual phase out of NG-DRI to H-DRI
Iron production capacity (million tonnes per year) Not applicable Not applicable 2
Steel production capacity (million tonnes per year) Not applicable Not applicable Not stated
CO2 capture (million tonnes CO2 per year) 0.125 0.225 Not applicable
Hydrogen generation capacity (MW) Not applicable Not applicable Not applicable
Investment size (m USD) 184 54.278 1237
Actual start year 2016 – –
Partners Primetals, LanzaTech, E4tech Renewi ; Joanneum Research, University of Graz and Chalmers Technical University ; Perpetual Next (formerly TorrCoal) –
Date of announcement 2015-05-01 2020-05-19 2021-09-28

Plant Details

Table 2: General Plant Details

Start date Workforce size Power source
1966[14] 1933[15] Committed to purchasing all electricity generated at the Storm wind farm being built on the site for the next 20 years .[16]

Table 3: Ownership and Parent Company Information

Parent company Parent company PermID Parent company GEM ID Owner Owner company PermID Owner company GEM ID
ArcelorMittal SA 5000030092 E100000000687 ArcelorMittal SA[17] 5000030092 E100000000687

Table 4: Process and Products

Steel product category Steel products Steel sector end users ISO 14001 ISO 50001 Responsible steel Main production equipment
semi-finished, finished rolled[18] pipe, billet, rail, slab[18] automotive, building and infrastructure, energy, steel packaging, tools and machinery, transport[18] 2023[19] 2024[19] 2021-07[20] BF; DRI; BOF; EAF

Table 5: Plant-level Crude Steel Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)

1Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page for an explanation of the different capacity operating statuses.
Capacity operating status1 Basic oxygen furnace steelmaking capacity Electric arc furnace steelmaking capacity Nominal crude steel capacity (total)
announced – 2500[21] 2500[21]
operating 2500[22] – 2500[22]
operating pre-retirement 2500[22] – 2500[22]

Table 6: Plant-level Crude Iron Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)

1Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page for an explanation of the different capacity operating statuses.
Capacity operating status1 Blast furnace capacity Sponge iron/DRI capacity Nominal iron capacity (total)
announced – 2500[21] 2500[21]
operating 2300[23] – 2300[23]
operating pre-retirement 2700[23] – 2700[23]

Table 7: Upstream Products Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)

Sinter Coke
6935[14] 1200[24]

Table 8: Actual Plant-level Crude Steel Production by Year (thousand tonnes per annum)

Year BOF production EAF production Total (all routes)
2019 5500[25] –[25] 5500[25]
2020 4110[16] –[16] 4110[16]
2021 4550[16] –[16] 4550[16]
2022 5000[26] unknown[26] 5000[26]
2023 4300[27] –[27] 4300[27]

Table 9: Actual Plant-level Crude Iron Production by Year (thousand tonnes per annum)

Year BF production Other/unknown iron production Total (all routes)
2019 unknown unknown –
2020 3650[16] –[16] 3650[16]
2021 4200[16] –[16] 4200[16]
2022 unknown unknown –
2023 unknown unknown –

Unit Details

Table 10: Blast Furnace Details

Unit name Status Start date Retired date Furnace manufacturer and model Current size Current capacity (ttpa) Decarbonization technology Most recent relining
BF A operating pre-retirement[14][24][28][29] 1966[14][24][28][29] 2030[30] Paul Wurth Paul Wurth Bell-Less Top[31][31] 2550.0 m3[31] 2700[23] CCUS trial underway; Part of new "Steelanol" CCU technology rollout. Four bioreactors arrive onsight in 2021 for upgrading capture CO2 into ethanol. Will produce 80 million litres of ethanol per year.; D-CRBN pilot project to capture CO2 and convert to CO to feed back to furnace. Pilot can convert max 1000 ton/year and goal is 10,000 ton/year by 2026[16][32][33][34][35] 2023-12-10[27]
BF B operating[14][24][28][29] 1967[14][24][28][29] – Paul Wurth; Saint-Gobain (parts) Paul Wurth Modern Blast Furnace Design[36][31][36][31][37] 2347.0 m3[31] 2300[23] CCUS trial underway; Part of new "Steelanol" CCU technology rollout. Four bioreactors arrive onsight in 2021 for upgrading capture CO2 into ethanol. Will produce 80 million litres of ethanol per year.; D-CRBN pilot project to capture CO2 and convert to CO to feed back to furnace. Pilot can convert max 1000 ton/year and goal is 10,000 ton/year by 2026. Also planned to take biomass and waste plastic as reductants[16][32][33][34][35][27] 2021-03[38]

Table 11: Direct Reduced Iron Furnace Details

Unit name Status Furnace type Current capacity (ttpa)
unknown DRI (1) announced[21] not found 2500[21]

Table 12: Electric Arc Furnace Details

Unit name Status Current capacity (ttpa)
unknown EAF (1) announced[39] 1250[21]
unknown EAF (2) announced[39] 1250[21]

Table 13: Electric Arc Furnace Feedstock Details

Unit name Scrap-based % scrap % DRI % HBI % sponge iron (unknown if DRI or HBI) % basic/merchant pig iron % granulated pig iron % pig iron (unknown if basic/merchant or granulated % other iron
unknown EAF (1) None[39] unknown[39] unknown unknown unknown unknown unknown unknown unknown
unknown EAF (2) None[39] unknown[39] unknown unknown unknown unknown unknown unknown unknown

Table 14: Basic Oxygen Furnace Details

Unit name Status Current capacity (ttpa) Current size
unknown BOF (1) operating[29][40][28][14][24][41] 2500[22] 300.0 tonnes[29][28][14][24][41]
unknown BOF (2) operating pre-retirement[42] 2500[22] 300.0 tonnes[29][28][14][24][41]

Articles and Resources

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of steel power plants, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Iron and Steel Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.

References

  1. ↑ Pasleau, Suzanne (2002–2003). "Caractéristiques des bassins industriels dans l'Eurégio Meuse-Rhin". Fédéralisme Régionalisme. 3.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "ArcelorMittal Gent : The history of ArcelorMittal Gent in a nutshell". www.arcelormittal.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-17. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Cohen, M.L. (2006). "Arcelor Gent". International Directory of Company Histories. Gale.
  4. ↑ Mommen, André (1994), The Belgian economy in the twentieth century, Routledge
  5. ↑ Leboutte, René (2008), Histoire économique et sociale de la construction européenne (in French), Peter Lang
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Capron, Michel (1987), "The State, the Regions and Industrial Redevelopment: The Challenge of the Belgian Steel Crisis", in Mény, Yves; Wright, Vincent (eds.), The Politics of steel: Western Europe and the steel industry in the crisis years (1974-1984), Walter de Gruyter, pp. 692–790
  7. ↑ de Jong, H. W. (1993). The Structure of European industry. Springer. p. 73.
  8. ↑ The Mineral Industry of Belgium and Luxembourg, U.S. Geological Survey, 1994, pages 86-7
  9. ↑ Newman, Harold R., The Mineral Industry of the Netherlands (1998), U.S. Geological Survey, 1998
  10. ↑ Barrett, Richard, Sidmar strives to satisfy galvanizing demand, Dec. 4, 2000
  11. ↑ Steel in Progress : Sidmar Annual Report 2002, Sidmar, 2002
  12. ↑ "ArcelorMittal signs letter of intent with the governments of Belgium and Flanders, supporting €1.1 billion investment in decarbonisation technologies at its flagship Gent plant". ArcelorMittal in Belgium. 2021-09-28. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
  13. ↑ Communication Belgium (2021-09-28). "ArcelorMittal signs letter of intent with the governments of Belgium and Flanders, supporting €1.1 billion investment in decarbonisation technologies at its flagship Gent plant - ArcelorMittal in Belgium". ArcelorMittal in Belgium. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 14.7 14.8 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20110719163152/http://www.arcelormittal.com/gent/repository/Publicaties/ThisishowArcelorMittalGentproducessteel.pdf (PDF). {{cite web}}: Check |archive-url= value (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220218035735/https://belgium.arcelormittal.com/en/about-us/. Archived from the original on 2022-02-18. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. ↑ 16.00 16.01 16.02 16.03 16.04 16.05 16.06 16.07 16.08 16.09 16.10 16.11 16.12 16.13 16.14 https://sway.office.com/cRG4BxVNGUrKnUs6?ref=Link. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20211224154052/https://belgium.arcelormittal.com/en/contact/. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20211226043605/https://belgium.arcelormittal.com/en/innovation/applications/. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 https://belgium.arcelormittal.com/en/responsibility/certificates/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. ↑ "Issued and Ongoing Certifications". Responsible Steel. Archived from the original on 2022-03-19.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 21.5 21.6 21.7 https://web.archive.org/web/20220703030229/https://belgium.arcelormittal.com/en/arcelormittal-signs-letter-of-intent-with-the-governments-of-belgium-and-flanders-supporting-e1-1-billion-investment-in-decarbonisation-technologies-at-its-flagship-gent-plant/. Archived from the original on 2022-07-03. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 "Map of EU steel production sites" (PDF). Eurofer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-03-18.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5 https://web.archive.org/web/20221016084219/https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insights/latest-news/metals/020121-arcelormittal-confirms-ghent-blast-furnace-b-to-restart-production-by-mid-feb. Archived from the original on 2022-10-16. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 24.5 24.6 24.7 (PDF) https://corporate.arcelormittal.com/~/media/Files/A/ArcelorMittal/investors/presentations/investor-days/European-plant-tour-investors_MJehl_2017.pdf. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 "Fact Book 2019" (PDF). ArcelorMittal. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-11-03.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 "Fact Book 2022" (PDF). ArcelorMittal. 2023-04-25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-10-29.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 27.4 (PDF). 2023-12-31 https://web.archive.org/web/20240424003331/https://corporate.arcelormittal.com/media/upipeqnl/annual-report-2023.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-04-24. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 28.5 28.6 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20220121144844/https://factbook2018.arcelormittal.com/~/media/Files/A/Arcelormittal-Factbook-2018/AM_FactBook_2018.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-01-21. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 29.5 29.6 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20220124080638/https://corporate.arcelormittal.com/~/media/Files/A/ArcelorMittal/investors/presentations/investor-days/ArcelorMittal%20Belgium_LATEST_26%20Sept18.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-01-24. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  30. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20211014201932/https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/09/28/2304118/0/en/ArcelorMittal-signs-letter-of-intent-with-the-governments-of-Belgium-and-Flanders-supporting-1-1-billion-investment-in-decarbonisation-technologies-at-its-flagship-Gent-plant.html. Archived from the original on 2021-10-14. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 31.4 31.5 https://abmproceedings.com.br/en/article/download-pdf/successful-upgrade-of-the-pulverised-coal-injection-facility-at-arcelormittal-gent-belgium. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20240610162343/https://www.aist.org/news/steel-news/2024/may/20-24-may/carbon-capture-trial-underway-at-belgian-mill. Archived from the original on 2024-06-10. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20221212113947/https://carbonherald.com/bhp-group-and-arcelormittal-partner-on-carbon-capture-in-steel/. Archived from the original on 2022-12-12. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20230121204420/https://www.primetals.com/press-media/news/new-sustainable-technology-for-carbon-capture-and-utilization-now-market-ready. Archived from the original on 2023-01-21. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 https://www.chemengonline.com/first-industrial-demonstration-of-plasma-based-co2-conversion/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20221128015619/https://www.ceramicsrefractories.saint-gobain.com/sites/hps-mac3-cma-pcr/files/assetbank_media/Iron---Steel-Blast-Furnace-brochure-2022-web-2274441.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-11-28. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  37. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20221203223426/https://www.paulwurth.com/en/technology/blast-furnace-ironmaking/modern-blast-furnace-design/. Archived from the original on 2022-12-03. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  38. ↑ https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/09/28/2304118/0/en/ArcelorMittal-signs-letter-of-intent-with-the-governments-of-Belgium-and-Flanders-supporting-1-1-billion-investment-in-decarbonisation-technologies-at-its-flagship-Gent-plant.html https://constructalia.arcelormittal.com/en/news_center/2021/06/arcelormittal-belgiums-blast-furnace-of-the-future, https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/09/28/2304118/0/en/ArcelorMittal-signs-letter-of-intent-with-the-governments-of-Belgium-and-Flanders-supporting-1-1-billion-investment-in-decarbonisation-technologies-at-its-flagship-Gent-plant.html. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 39.3 39.4 39.5 https://web.archive.org/web/20250313074518/https://automotive.arcelormittal.com/news_and_stories/news/2022_DecarbonizationInvestments. Archived from the original on 13 March 2025. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  40. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240126194104/https://flateurope.arcelormittal.com/ourmills/be/gent. Archived from the original on 2024-01-26. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 https://www.primetals.com/press-media/news/primetals-technologies-to-supply-arcelormittal-with-two-ld-converters-bofs. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  42. ↑ https://www.recyclingtoday.com/news/arcelormittal-to-invest-in-decarbonization-technologies/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

Resources

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