No. 107: Japanese steelmakers strengthen the efforts to reduce carbon dioxide (July 20, 2010)

Major steelmakers in Japan will strengthen the efforts to resolve and collect carbon dioxide from gas emissions of shaft furnaces. Nippon Steel started to operate the equipment to process 30 tons of carbon dioxide a day this spring. The company adopted the chemical absorption method. In this method, carbon dioxide is absorbed in alkaline aqueous solution, and the resulting solution is heated to resolve and collect carbon dioxide. The company plans to increase the processing capacity to one millions tons a year in the future. JFE Steel adopted the physical absorption method, and it will build equipment to process three tons of carbon dioxide a day. In the physical absorption method, carbon dioxide is adsorbed to zeolite used in detergent, and the resulting product is depressurized to resolve and collect carbon dioxide. Leading steelmakers are expected to put these two methods into practical use by 2030 and use them simultaneously. Collected carbon dioxide will be buried and stored in the ground.