British Steel is involved in and supports research into environmentally friendly fuels

Jing Jing Group British Steel has announced its participation in and support of a project study on the use of environmentally friendly low carbon emission fuels, which will investigate whether biochar fuel can replace coal injection in blast furnaces as a clean carbon source for electric arc furnaces.

Peatlands are some of the most productive land in the UK for growing food, but peat decay emits large amounts of carbon dioxide. British Steel plans to plant willows on peatlands as sustainable wetlands. Willow as a biomass can prevent peatland degradation. Willow trees, when pyrolyzed, can provide a heat source for businesses to increase agricultural productivity and produce biochar. This biochar could potentially replace coal, reduce the need for fossil fuels for steel mills and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Academics at the University of Lincoln have received funding from the UK's Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) to participate in the research project and are working with local agricultural production and biochar suppliers - Lapwing Energy, British Steel and others. As a participant in the project, British Steel is helping to direct the research and provide technical validation support to determine whether biochar can replace blown coal as a clean carbon source for future EAF steelmaking.