Steel Mills

USS Exploring Carbon Capture, Hydrogen to Reduce Emissions

June 30, 2021

U.S. Steel is studying the possibilities for deploying carbon capture and storage (CCS) as well as hydrogen-based production as part of its efforts to decarbonize.

The Pittsburgh-based steelmaker is doing so via a non-exclusive memorandum of understanding with a U.S. subsidiary of Norwegian energy company Equinor ASA.

US Steel

The effort will be centered in the Mon Valley and might run across Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, the company said.

“The successful development of hydrogen and CCS technology in the tri-state region will require investment, cooperation, and exploration across political and perceived barriers,” Richard Fruehauf, U.S. Steel’s chief strategy and sustainability officer, said in a statement.

The study is part of the company’s effort to be “net-zero” in terms of carbon emissions by 2050.

U.S. Steel thinks combining natural gas with CCS could get it a long way toward reaching that goal. Hydrogen and renewable energy are also key to reaching the zero emissions milestone.

Anchoring the project in the Mon Valley is significant because U.S. Steel earlier this year scrapped plans for a $1.3-billion upgrade to its Mon Valley Works in western Pennsylvania.

It is also significant because U.S. Steel is joining a growing number of steelmakers – including Cleveland-Cliffs, SSAB and Algoma – that appear to be paying more than just lip service to the importance of reducing CO2 emissions, a key driver of climate change.

By Michael Cowden, Michael@SteelMarketUpdate.com

Michael Cowden

Michael Cowden is editor-in-chief for Steel Market Update. Cowden has covered the steel industry since 2007. He specializes in flat-rolled steel but has also reported on steel long products, steel pipe and tube, and aluminum. Before joining SMU, Cowden held reporting jobs at Fastmarkets AMM in Chicago, the Associated Press in Pittsburgh, and the Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh. He has also worked as a copy editor and in marketing at the University of Chicago Press. Cowden has a BA in English from the University of Chicago and an MSJ journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Contact him at michael@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7872.