Hydrogen advances mean green steel on the horizon

Steelmakers have been successfully operating hydrogen-based pilot projects in the hard-to-abate sector and expect decarbonised steel to be on the market by mid-decade

Numerous leading steelmakers have pledged in recent months to reduce their carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050 or sooner. This is despite steelmaking being one of the toughest industries to decarbonise and contributing 7-9pc to global emissions. The list includes Arcelormittal, the world’s largest steel manufacturer, and Thyssenkrupp, Nippon Steel and Posco, the largest steel manufacturers in Germany, Japan and South Korea respectively. About three-quarters of global steel is manufactured in blast oxygen furnaces (BOF), requiring temperatures of 1,200°C and generally using coal. BOF-manufactured steel accounts for 90pc of industry emissions on a global basis. “The transformation to