ArcelorMittal Dofasco misses key milestones in $1.8B 'green' steel project promised for 2028
Hamilton steelmaker says decarbonization is still a go
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamil...date-1.7309360
Construction has yet to begin on ArcelorMittal Dofasco's massive "green" steel upgrades, despite plans by Ontario's largest industrial carbon emitter to phase out coal at its Hamilton plant and cut emissions 60 per cent by 2028.
A CBC Hamilton investigation, which included capturing drone footage of the plant and speaking with industry insiders, indicates the project is not moving ahead as company executives publicly promised after missing key milestones in 2023 and 2024.
Those milestones include demolishing a coke plant to make room for a direct reduced iron (DRI) plant, piecing together what would become the tallest structure in Hamilton and getting approval for the construction of a 14-kilometre natural gas pipeline required for the project.
Dofasco told CBC last week it remains committed to decarbonization and there are no changes to its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, timelines or related budgets.
The federal government was also contacted by CBC and said in a statement that Dofasco aims to hit its carbon emission goal in 2030 — two years after the announced project deadline.
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Project still in design phase, Dofasco tells community
Dofasco maintains its plans are progressing.
"The decarbonization project is a highly complex, large-scale project that will determine the future of ArcelorMittal Dofasco," the company said in a statement on Aug. 28.
"ArcelorMittal will remain a thriving operation supporting the local community with jobs in Hamilton while contributing to a lower carbon economy and delivering the steels our customers require for a decarbonized world."
The company did not respond to questions about why it appears construction hasn't started.
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In Hamilton, Lynda Lukasik, executive director of the city's Climate Change Initiatives Office, is holding out hope that Dofasco's decarbonization will still happen by 2028.
The plan will not only reduce carbon emissions. but other cancer-causing pollutants as well, making it "incredibly important" for local residents, she said.