Hatch: Steelmakers, Energy Giants Launch CCUS Hub Study In Asia

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 (Bernama) -- A consortium of major steel producers and global industrial players, including ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India, JSW Steel, Hyundai Steel Company, BHP, Chevron, and Mitsui & Co Ltd, has launched a pre-feasibility study to assess the development of Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) hubs across Asia.

The initiative marks the first independent, industry-led study of its kind in the region, aiming to unlock scalable CCUS solutions for hard-to-abate sectors such as steelmaking and heavy industry.

According to a statement, the consortium, which is open to additional members joining and contributing to the study, has appointed Hatch as Project Management Officer in collaboration with the Global CCS Institute, McDaniel, and Pace CCS.

Led by the consortium, the study will explore technical and commercial pathways for deploying large-scale CCUS hubs that can capture, repurpose, or store carbon dioxide (CO2) using shared infrastructure. Captured CO2 may be reused in industrial processes or transported by pipeline or ship to designated storage sites in Asia or Northern Australia.

Each participant is expected to be included in at least one hub, and the study will deliver conceptual development strategies for each hub, including cost and schedule estimates and potential commercialisation pathways.

Expected to conclude at the end of 2026 with findings to be shared publicly, the study will also look at non-technical enablers required to make CCUS hubs a reality, for example, regulatory assessments, including intra- and inter-regional assessments of CCUS and cross-border transport.

The consortium is prioritising the next important – the study of scalable utilisation and storage solutions to test the potential for broader adoption to support decarbonisation, especially in regions where regulatory hurdles and market maturity limit progress.

By concentrating on regional hubs, the study will look to find ways to solve the challenge of scale by aggregating captured carbon into sufficiently large quantities to optimise the unit cost of capture, transportation, and storage through economies-of-scale, provide sufficient scale for economic utilisation solutions, as well as ensure cost and risk are appropriately shared among interested parties.

-- BERNAMA