ArcelorMittal: sustainable steel production thanks to 5G

ArcelorMittal wants to help build a better world through smarter steel. The company manufactures steel that is essential to the production of electric vehicles, wind turbines and solar panels. To minimise energy consumption and carbon emissions from steel production, ArcelorMittal are continuously innovating and optimising their processes.

In 2023, the government went in search of innovative pilot projects to support that could accelerate the implementation of 5G, with a focus on climate transition. ArcelorMittal and Orange Belgium secured the subsidy with their 5G Connected Steel project, signalling the start of a co-creation process that continues today.

More efficient, more sustainable and safer

Thanks to 5G SA technology, ArcelorMittal has its own mobile network at the company’s site. In three use cases, it is exploring the potential of the private mobile 5G network.

An initial use case makes the critical communication of overhead cranes at ArcelorMittal’s site more reliable. These cranes move steel coils. They are operated wirelessly with the aid of a live video feed or autonomously by operating systems that are extremely sensitive to latency. A reliable and fast network is therefore essential and 5G SA provided the perfect solution.

A second use case focuses on the vehicles that process the steel scrap, which continuously exchange information with traffic control systems at the ArcelorMittal site. Communication between the vehicle and both the traffic control systems and the production process require a highly reliable system. 5G SA not only increased productivity but also made the work environment safer.

Finally, ArcelorMittal is committed to sustainability thanks to 5G. The company has already made great strides. For instance, liquid metal is transported from the smelter to production departments via railroad vehicles. That involves heat loss, requiring the metal to be reheated, which in turn demands additional energy. The company can optimise transport through remote monitoring over 5G. This minimises heat loss, thereby reducing energy consumption.

A genuine win-win

ArcelorMittal is committed to Industry 4.0 to create a better world through smarter steel. Manfred Van Vlierberghe, CEO of ArcelorMittal Belgium, describes the unique partnership with Orange Belgium: “We share a passion for innovation and sustainability. This partnership in 5G is a genuine win-win situation.”

Orange Belgium pioneered 5G SA projects in the port of Antwerp in 2020. The 5G Labs in Antwerp and Liège followed suit in 2022 and the following year saw the implementation of 11 government-funded 5G pilot projects. The accumulated expertise is proving very useful for these pilot projects for the steel industry. 

According to Xavier Pichon, CEO of Orange Belgium, close cooperation between the two companies is central to this new project: “We understand ArcelorMittal’s needs and we have developed an optimal and bespoke 5G solution through a process of co-creation.”