BHP has signed an agreement for piloting carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) technology with China’s HBIS Group Co. (HBIS), one of the world’s largest steelmakers and a major iron ore customer. 

As part of this new project, HBIS and BHP will trial pilot-scale demonstrations of CCU technologies at HBIS’ steel operations in China. The trial will develop and test technologies that can be integrated into steel production processes to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. 

These include Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption, VPSA, an alternative technology to capture CO2, and two utilisation technologies, slag mineralisation and biological conversion to protein, to sequester it.

BHP will also support HBIS in developing and deploying absorptive desulfurisation at HBIS ZXHT Hydrogen Metallurgy Demonstration Project in Xuanhua, Hebei, intended to enable the utilisation of ~60,000 tonnes per year of captured CO2 from the Direct Reduced Iron process in the food or industrial sectors.

BHP’s Chief Commercial Officer, Vandita Pant, said its multi-faceted partnership with HBIS will now include pilot testing of novel carbon capture technology at their operating sites in Hebei, and builds on the separate carbon capture trial with ArcelorMittal, Mitsubishi Heavy Industry and Mitsubishi Development, announced in October 2022.