EIT RawMaterials & Anglo American “Pathways to decarbonizing Steel” Innovation Challenge

EIT RawMaterials recently launched the first EIT RawMaterials - Anglo American  “Pathways to decarbonizing Steel” innovation Challenge. 

The challenge is a collaboration with Anglo American Decarbonisation Ventures and aims at identifying startups and innovators with solutions tackling the 5 below topics:

1. Mining:  The beneficiation of iron ore feeds for use in Direct-Reduced Iron processes

2. Pre-processing: Reducing or removing carbon emissions in existing pre-processing stages such as sintering and induration

3. Production: The use of Advanced Blast Furnace technologies, DRI-Electric Arc Furnace processes, or alternative steelmaking technologies

4. Recycling: Enabling increased use of scrap metal feedstock in high quality flat steel production

5. Post-processing: The use of carbon-capture utilisation or sequestration solutions to meet the scale of blast furnace carbon emissions

This is not a definitive list. If you have a breakthrough solution not listed above that fits the broader challenge objective, we would love to hear about it.

Who is Anglo American?

Anglo American is a leading global mining company whose products are the essential ingredients in almost every aspect of modern life. Recognising the critical challenge of climate change, Anglo American is now delivering a Sustainable Mining Plan that targets a 50% reduction in its Scope 3 emissions by 2040. With a significant proportion of Anglo American’s Scope 3 emissions deriving from the downstream use of iron ore in steelmaking this challenge is one of a range of initiatives the company has started to accelerate the decarbonisation of the steel sector.

A great opportunity for start-ups and entrepreneurs with solutions to decarbonise steel.

The challenge aims at offering successful candidates potential venture capital investment by Anglo American, and any subsequent technical or commercial support Anglo may choose to provide.

Key criteria for assessment of solutions will be whether they are innovative, can become cost competitive and will be impactful. By ‘impactful’ we mean that the solution can remove upwards of 0.2t CO2 per ton of steel produced.

What is the role of EIT RawMaterials?

EIT RawMaterials is coordinating this challenge and is reaching out to its network of innovative startups and innovators active in the topic. We believe this challenge might be a good opportunity for your staff, researchers, students and we would encourage you to apply should you see fit and relevance to your current and future business development.

You are interested, what to do next?

• Innovators are encouraged to apply by 22 May 2023, 20:00 CET for a chance to secure funding and potential industrial partnerships. 
• Check on the challenge webpage : Anglo American Challenge - EIT RawMaterials Open Innovation Services
• Register your application here : https://webportalapp.com/sp/login/angloamericanchallenge2023
• Contact laurence.lamm@eitrawmaterials.eu in case of questions