Green hydrogen: metallurgical coal’s kryptonite?

Humanity’s ability to make modern steel has centred around blast furnaces and the use of carbon as an essential ingredient since the mid-19th century – with carbon providing heat and more importantly, a reductant. Carbon from metallurgical coals, concentrated in coke, efficiently reduces iron from iron ore at a scale and cost necessary to allow our modern society to exist but in the process, releases vast amounts of carbon dioxide. Today’s global steel industry accounts for roughly 8% of all global carbon emissions. With all carbon intensive industries firmly in the crosshairs of aggressive international emission reduction targets, the steel industry has no choice but to investigate low- or zero-carbon emission technologies. Enter Green steel and Green hydrogen – is this duo going to be the end for metallurgical coal and carbon-based steel production?