Molten Industries will lead a collaborative initiative with United States Steel Corporation and CPFD Software (“CPFD”) to design, construct, and test a pilot-scale system aimed at eliminating carbon emissions from iron reduction, funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”).

The $5.4M grant, provided by the DOE’s Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office and Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, will drive this groundbreaking project aimed at achieving carbon-neutral steel production. This initiative is expected to create well-paying jobs and strengthen the competitiveness of the U.S. industrial sector. The main objective of the project is to showcase the integration of methane-pyrolysis-driven hydrogen production with a pilot direct reduced iron (DRI) shaft furnace at Molten’s facility. The anticipated results include substantial reductions in energy use, carbon intensity, and costs, marking a crucial step toward sustainable steel production.

The innovative approach utilizes hydrogen produced from methane pyrolysis as a reducing agent. Molten’s technology employs renewable electricity to decompose methane from natural gas or waste sources into hydrogen gas and solid graphite, achieving a 75% reduction in energy intensity compared to water electrolysis, another method for producing zero-carbon hydrogen. This grant follows Molten’s recent $25M Series A fundraise, which will further advance the development of its technology.

The project leverages U.S. Steel's expertise as a vertically integrated steel producer. U.S. Steel will supply its Minnesota iron ore for the project and may demonstrate clean steel production in an electric arc furnace using DRI produced with clean hydrogen. This technology has the potential to reduce up to 60 million tons of CO2 emissions from the 84 million tons of greenhouse gases currently produced in U.S. crude steel manufacturing.

Molten Industries CEO, Kevin Bush, expressed enthusiasm for the project, saying, “This collaboration with U.S. Steel and CPFD Software marks an exciting initial step in Molten’s mission to decarbonize the world’s heavy industries. Our process provides hydrogen at the high temperatures needed for ironmaking and steelmaking, reducing energy use and costs for steel producers. We are confident that our combined efforts will lead to a future where carbon-neutral steel production becomes a reality.”

Christian Gianni, U.S. Steel Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, stated, “Reaching U.S. Steel’s 2050 net zero emissions goal necessitates the development and commercialization of several technologies that are not yet widely available. This collaboration, supported by the DOE grant, represents an investment in the future of sustainable American steel.”

Peter Blaser, CPFD’s Vice President of Operations, commented, “It’s thrilling to see Barracuda Virtual Reactor being used to expedite the scale-up and commercialization of Molten’s innovative technology in partnership with U.S. Steel. This project reflects a wide-ranging energy transition across various industrial sectors, and we are proud that our technology and expertise are contributing to the decarbonization of American steel production.”