British Steel has successfully completed a trial using Cold Agglomerated Pellets (CAPs) in its Queen Bess blast furnace at Scunthorpe, marking a key step toward greener ironmaking.
Developed by UK-based Binding Solutions Limited (BSL), CAPs are produced using a proprietary cold agglomeration process that avoids the high-temperature treatment (around 1,300 Celsius) required for traditional indurated pellets. Instead, CAPs are cured at under 150 Celsius, cutting energy use by up to 80pct and CO2 emissions by as much as 70pct.
The trial demonstrated that BSL’s CAPs can replace up to 8pct of conventional indurated pellets in a blast furnace without compromising performance or stability. This offers a near-term solution to lower emissions in primary steelmaking.
BSL’s process uses proprietary binders to convert low-grade iron ore fines into blast furnace-ready pellets, eliminating the need for induration or sintering. This significantly reduces emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulphur oxides, while simplifying production and lowering capital costs.
The trial’s success supports BSL’s plans to scale up commercial CAP production. The company is evaluating potential sites in the UK, Europe, and Canada for its first plant, with support from industry and government partners.
BSL’s technology has been over a decade in development. Its Technology Centre on the Materials Processing Institute campus in Teesside includes a pilot plant and serves as a hub for ongoing collaboration with iron ore miners and steel producers. Further details of the British Steel trial will be released in the coming weeks.
