Green steel for the green deal

The steel industry currently accounts for 5.7 % of total greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union. The European Commission has identified a reduction in these emissions as crucial for meeting the targets outlined in the Paris Agreement on climate change, but modern technology is not enough to make 'green steel' economically viable.

A major hurdle is that steel production traditionally relies on material with a high iron content (high-grade). Supplies of this high-grade ore are rapidly depleting worldwide and have to be transported over long distances for processing.

An entirely new approach, inspired by the challenges of long-term space missions, could be the answer. In-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) is the practice of collecting, processing, storing and using materials found or manufactured on other planets or moons to replace material that would otherwise have to be transported from Earth.

With funding from ESA Discovery, Luxembourg-based ISRU experts, Maana Electric, are investigating the possibility of a European prototype system able to use material with relatively low iron content (low-grade) and electricity to produce carbon-neutral steel.

This system would potentially allow for the production of steel from low-grade material extracted close to construction sites. It would reduce supply chain costs, allow for less environmentally damaging mining sites, address the rapid depletion of high-grade iron ore and promote Europe as leader in green technologies.