Tag Archives: China Baowu

Vale ponders investment in China Baowu’s pilot biochar plant project as part of Scope 3 emission targets

Environmental, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , ,

Vale says it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China Baowu Steel Group Corporation Ltd in which both companies agreed to pursue opportunities to develop steelmaking solutions focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The MoU comprises the discussion to produce biochar and use it in blast furnaces in order to consume a carbon-neutral material based on biomass instead of fossil energy. The MoU also intends to discuss a possible investment by Vale into China Baowu’s pilot biochar plant project, with an indicative amount ranging from CNY60-70 million ($9.4-10.9 million).

This initiative contributes to achieving Vale’s commitment to reduce 15% of net Scope 3 emissions by 2035. Additionally, Vale seeks to reduce its absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 33% by 2030 and achieve neutrality by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement, leading the evolution process towards low carbon mining.

BHP and China Baowu take on steel industry GHG emission reduction challenge

Environmental, Mining industry recognition, Power supply for mines, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , ,

BHP has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with leading steel producer, China Baowu, with the intention, it says, to invest up to $35 million and share technical knowledge to help address the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions facing the global steel industry.

The five-year partnership will focus on the development of low carbon technologies and pathways capable of emission intensity reduction in integrated steelmaking, according to BHP. Under the MoU, the deployment of carbon capture, utilisation and storage in the steel sector will also be investigated at one of China Baowu’s production bases.

BHP’s investment will be funded under the $400 million Climate Investment Program, set up last year to coordinate and prioritise projects, partnerships, R&D and venture investments to reduce Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, offsets and support development of technologies with the highest potential to impact change.

BHP Chief Executive Officer, Mike Henry (pictured left), said the companies would collaborate on technical solutions to use low carbon fuel sources such as hydrogen injection in the blast furnace, and explore other low emission options in support of China Baowu and the steel industry’s low carbon transformation and green development goals.

“This MoU further strengthens our longstanding relationship with China Baowu and reflects our joint determination and commitment to help reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreement goals,” Henry said.

“BHP will invest in supporting the development of low emissions technologies, promote product stewardship and partner with others to enhance the global policy and market response to climate change. Our investments are focused on actions that can create real change in emissions.”

In September, BHP awarded a tender for world’s first LNG-fuelled Newcastlemax bulk carrier to carry iron ore between Western Australia and China, which will reduce emissions by more than 30% per voyage.

In October 2019, China Baowu, meanwhile, announced the establishment of a Low Carbon Metallurgy Innovation Centre and plans to establish a Global Low Carbon Metallurgy Innovation Alliance.

China Baowu Chairman, Chen Derong, said the MoU with BHP will further enhance and broaden the existing strategic partnership between the companies, and establish a model of joint industrial efforts to promote technological innovation and a sustainable transition to a lower carbon world.

“At the UN General Assembly, President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech that outlined China’s low carbon transformation and development,” Chen Derong said. “Low carbon transition and green development represent a major disruption to the traditional steelmaking value chain.

“As a leading company in the sector, China Baowu will take an active role in implementing low carbon technologies, working together with upstream and downstream partners.

“The global steel industry needs an open platform to jointly explore low carbon technology and roadmaps, as well as showcase to the world the efforts to reshape the steelmaking value chain.”

Consistent with the ambitions of China Baowu and BHP to drive efficiency and address emissions across the global steel industry, both companies will work together to establish a China Baowu-BHP Low Carbon Metallurgy Knowledge Sharing Center, to link complementary research and share low carbon and green development knowledge with domestic and international steel industry stakeholders, the two companies said.

MineHub adds BHP, China Baowu to blockchain-based supply chain platform

Base metals, IoT, Mineral commodities, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , ,

BHP and China Baowu have completed their first iron ore trade on MineHub Technologies’ blockchain-based platform, according to the Vancouver-based digital supply chain company.

This is the first of a series of transactions with various industry partners, guiding the next evolution of functionality on the MineHub platform that will ultimately provide commodity supply chains with a fully digital end-to-end fulfilment process, MineHub said. “It also reflects MineHub’s development approach – hands-on collaboration and continuous validation with industry – to ensure that the platform delivers on the value and user experience expectations.”

The MineHub platform is built on the IBM Blockchain platform using the open-source Hyperledger Fabric standards. MineHub allows its customers to benefit from several innovations, according to the company, with the parties involved in selling, buying, delivering and paying for a cargo of minerals now able to collaborate securely in real-time, “working in an integrated cross-company workflow, sharing electronic information rather than couriering or emailing paper documents that are subject to interception, fraud and cyber threats”, MineHub said.

Arnoud Star Busmann, CEO of MineHub, said working with the world’s biggest miner and one of the world’s largest steel producers on “designing the digital future of critical supply chains” like iron ore is incredibly exciting.

“This series of transactions, each focusing on different aspects of the post-trade process, will allow MineHub to incrementally expand the platform’s functionality and scalability into the iron ore and other mineral commodity markets, incorporating real-life user experience,” he added.

MineHub is also developing and validating digital solutions in complementary settings and in collaboration with other industry partners, it said, adding that work was underway, for instance, in base metals concentrates, structured finance and emissions tracking.

Star Busmann continued: “We will incorporate these learnings into the next MineHub release, planned for Q4 (December quarter) 2020, which will start to provide a solution to the increasingly urgent need for industry-wide digitalisation, by boosting both safety, transparency and resilience of critical supply chains. Especially as current pandemic events and fraud cases in the commodity trading industry are causing a step change in the adoption of digital solutions.”

MineHub says its blockchain-based platform helps the parties in a mineral transaction to virtually integrate their trade operations processes like contracting, logistics, specifications and financing services. This streamlines communication channels and also provides the transaction participants with security and certainty via a reliable, real-time single source of truth.

“The underlying blockchain technology ensures that each party can control the privacy, integrity and geographical residence of their data, whilst allowing trading and financing partners to use or verify the integrity of shared information,” MineHub says.