Public consultation is underway for the proposed pipeline that will enable ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s plan to achieve net-zero emissions in its steelmaking. The first step in phasing out coal-fired steelmaking is to convert to natural gas w=hic will significantly reduce their carbon footprint by 2028.
The switch to gas will reduce total plant CO2 emissions by 60 percent, but requires a significant additional gas supply.
The company says once complete, this change is expected to result in a net decrease of three million metric tonnes of CO2 emissions per year, which is roughly equivalent to reducing 650,000 cars off the road. The steelmaker says the transition will begin with natural gas replacing coal but ultimately will be constructed ‘hydrogen ready’ so it can be transitioned to utilize green hydrogen when a cost-effective supply of green hydrogen becomes available.
The first step in the process will be two in-person public consultations conducted by Dillon Consulting and Enbridge Gas.
In-Person Session #1: Mar. 2, 2023, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Stoney Creek Lions Club
14 Sherwood Park Road, Stoney Creek
In-Person Session #2: Mar. 8, 2023, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Mount Hamilton Legion
435 Limeridge Road East, Hamilton
A virtual public information session is also being held online from Feb. 27 to Mar. 12. Visitors can visit hamiltonreinforcement.com to provide their input on the project. Members of the public and the media are also invited to take part in the virtual session.
When the project was first announced last year by ArcelorMittal Dofasco a number of immediate environmental impacts were promised. Including:
• This project will lower greenhouse gas emissions and help enable Dofasco, the City of Hamilton, the province of Ontario and Canada to reach their climate change goals for 2030, 2050 and beyond.
o When this phase is complete, it is expected to result in a net decrease of approximately three million metric tonnes of CO2 emissions per year – equivalent to taking roughly 650,000 cars off the road annually. (Source: https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator)
o Beyond CO2, the following emissions will also be reduced or eliminated: methane, ethylene, carbon monoxide, benzene and benzo(a)pyrene, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and other components of coke oven gas.
o Natural gas also offers a practical bridge to net zero emissions when combined with carbon capture, utilization and storage in the near term, as the gas supply potentially transitions to renewable hydrogen over the longer-term.
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