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Utility Global and ArcelorMittal Brazil collaborate on innovative clean H2 project

Utility Global (Utility), a U.S.-based leader in clean H2 technology, and ArcelorMittal, one of the world's largest steel producers, have announced a collaboration to explore the development of a clean H2 project at ArcelorMittal, Juiz de Fora facility in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The project has entered the front-end engineering and design (FEED) process, focusing on the potential application of Utility's proprietary H2Gen system. This system uses blast furnace off-gas as an energy source to produce H2 from water.

Utility has developed a patented reactor H2Gen, which processes variable industrial process gases, without the use of electricity, into high-purity H2 and a concentrated CO2 stream that can be captured and stored. The H2 produced can be recirculated into the steelmaking process to replace natural gas, while the purity of the concentrated CO2 stream significantly simplifies and reduces the cost of subsequent carbon capture and sequestration - an important solution for decarbonizing steelmaking.

Utility will lead the initial engineering stages to determine the technical and economic feasibility of deploying the H2Gen system at the site. The H2Gen system will produce up to 3 tpd of H2 utilizing blast furnace off-gas from the ArcelorMittal Brazil plant in Juiz de Fora. With a modular and scalable design, the technology supports onsite H2 production with low carbon intensity, empowering industries to reduce emissions while maintaining operational efficiency.

"This project represents a shared commitment to scaling business and technology innovation that supports global energy transition goals," said Parker Meeks, CEO at Utility. "We're proud to bring our H2Gen solution to the forefront of industrial business advancements in partnership with one of the world's most forward-thinking steel producers, who is also an investor in Utility Global."

ArcelorMittal has also invested $5 million in Utility Global through its XCarb Innovation Fund. The fund, launched in 2021, supports companies developing breakthrough technologies with the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions in steelmaking. "While the XCarb Innovation Fund is primarily a vehicle to invest in companies developing technology that can support the decarbonization of steelmaking, our intention has always been to support our investee companies with more than just financing, using our global asset base as a testing ground for technology development. We are excited by the potential of Utility Global's H2Gen system and pleased to support its development with this collaboration," commented Irina Gorbounova, Head of the XCarb Innovation fund.