Rio Tinto has signed definitive agreements with GravitHy, an early-stage industrial company, to support its steel decarbonization project in France. The partnership will see Rio Tinto supply high-grade direct reduction iron ore pellets from its Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) operations to GravitHy’s planned facility, as well as handle the sales and marketing of the ultra-low carbon Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) produced by GravitHy.
GravitHy’s proposed facility in Fos-sur-Mer, France, aims to produce two mln tons of iron per year, with operations scheduled to begin in 2028. The site, located near a deep seaport, will incorporate infrastructure for ultra-low carbon hydrogen production, powered by grid-connected nuclear energy, to process direct reduction pellets into HBI. This innovative process could reduce ironmaking-related CO2 emissions by more than 90pct.
Low-carbon steel production is crucial for the global transition to net-zero emissions. The iron and steel sector contributes around 8pct of global carbon emissions, requiring the development of new technologies, processes, and infrastructure to achieve decarbonization.
GravitHy was launched in 2022 by a consortium comprised by EIT InnoEnergy, the innovation engine for sustainable energy supported by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology, a body of the European Union (EU), Engie, Plug, Forvia, Groupe IDEC and Primetals Technologies.
