Sasol and ArcelorMittal join forces to produce green hydrogen and steel

Sasol and ArcelorMittal South Africa will collaborate on research into the production of green hydrogen and steel and explore the use of renewable electricity to convert captured carbon into sustainable fuels and chemicals.

Both manufacturers plan to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Sasol, South Africa’s second-biggest greenhouse gas emitter, is phasing out its use of coal to help reach climate targets.

“These studies are anchored by the local need for green hydrogen and sustainable products,” Priscillah Mabelane, executive vice president for Sasol’s energy business, said.

The initiatives could help revive ArcelorMittal’s Saldanha Works plant, which was mothballed in 2019, starting with a study of green steel using hydrogen produced from renewable energy, the companies said Tuesday in an emailed statement.

They will also look at potentially developing carbon capture technology to eventually replace natural gas as a feedstock to produce sustainable chemical products.