Molten Industries Leads Strategic Partnership With US Steel and CPFD Software to Pioneer Carbon-Neutral Steel Production – Hydrogen.
Molten Industries (“Molten”) will spearhead a collaborative effort with United States Steel Corporation (“U. S. Steel” ) (NYSE: X) and CPFD Software (“CPFD”) to design, build, and test a pilot-scale system aimed at eliminating carbon emissions from iron reduction under a U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) grant.
The $5.4M grant, awarded and funded through the DOE’s Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office and Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, will catalyze the groundbreaking project focused on carbon-neutral steel production while creating good-paying jobs and building a stronger, more competitive U.S. industrial sector. The project’s main objective is to demonstrate the integration of methane-pyrolysis-driven hydrogen production with a pilot direct reduced iron (DRI) shaft furnace at Molten’s facility. Anticipated outcomes include significant energy, carbon intensity, and cost reductions—a pivotal stride toward sustainable steel production.
The innovative approach harnesses hydrogen derived from methane pyrolysis as a reducing agent. Molten’s technology uses renewable electricity to break down methane from natural gas or waste sources into hydrogen gas and solid graphite, offering a 75% reduction in energy intensity compared to water electrolysis, an alternative for zero-carbon hydrogen. This grant was awarded shortly after Molten announced its $25M Series A fundraise, which will only further propel the development of its technology.
The project leverages U. S. Steel’s expertise as a vertically integrated steel producer. U. S. Steel will contribute its Minnesota iron ore for the project and potentially showcase clean steel production in an electric arc furnace using the DRI made with clean hydrogen. The technology has the potential to eliminate up to 60 million tons of CO2 from the 84 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions in U.S. crude steel production.
Kevin Bush, Molten Industries CEO, expressed enthusiasm for the project, stating:
This collaboration with U. S. Steel and CPFD Software is an exciting first step in Molten’s mission to decarbonize the world’s heavy industries.
“Our process delivers hydrogen at high temperatures required for ironmaking and steelmaking, saving energy and cost for steel manufacturers. We are confident that our joint efforts will pave the way for a future where carbon-neutral steel production is not just a possibility but a reality.”
Christian Gianni, U. S. Steel Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, said:
Achieving U. S. Steel’s 2050 net zero emissions goal requires the development and commercialization of various technologies, some of which have yet to be available on a broad scale.
“This collaboration, thanks to the DOE grant, is an investment in the future of sustainable American steel.”
Peter Blaser, CPFD’s Vice President of Operations, said:
It is exciting to see Barracuda Virtual Reactor used to accelerate the scale-up and commercialization of Molten’s unique technology in partnership with U. S. Steel.
“This project is indicative of a broad energy transition underway spanning multiple industrial sectors, and we are pleased to see our technology and expertise contribute toward the decarbonization of American steel production.”
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Molten Industries Leads Strategic Partnership With US Steel and CPFD Software to Pioneer Carbon-Neutral Steel Production – Hydrogen. source
