Anglo American has partnered with the University of Birmingham and venture-builder Cambridge Future Tech to launch PeroCycle, a new venture aimed at developing and commercialising carbon recycling technology for implementation in steelmaking.
It said PeroCycle will build upon innovations made at the University of Birmingham’s School of Chemical Engineering by Professor Yulong Ding and Dr Harriet Kildahl, who pioneered an in-process carbon recycling method using a double perovskite material.
The material allows the in-process splitting of carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide at significantly lower temperatures than current methods.
Anglo American said the carbon monoxide could then be recycled in a closed loop as a substitute for coal or coke currently used in the steelmaking process, in turn significantly reducing the volume of carbon dioxide emissions.
Cambridge Future Tech, working with Anglo American, will lead the spin-out and development of PeroCycle, de-risking 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,” said Anglo American’s Marketing business chief executive Matt Walker.
“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.”
Professor Yulong Ding, the founding Chamberlain Chair of Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham, said the steel sector currently accounts for around 8% of global carbon emissions.
“We are excited to work with Anglo American and Cambridge Future Tech to commercialise our novel technology and provide a potential alternative technical solution to enable a deep decarbonisation of the steel sector, and beyond,” he said.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor-In-Chief, Rough & Polished
