Steel Products
Electra commissions clean ironmaking pilot plant
Written by Laura Miller
April 1, 2024
Electra has commissioned a first-of-its kind, clean ironmaking pilot plant in Boulder, Colo.
To aid in the green production of steel, the Boulder-based startup has been developing its iron refining technology, which uses an electrochemical process with low temperatures and renewable energy. It is the first of its kind “to produce metallic iron from already mined, high-impurity, commercially stranded ores to accelerate decarbonization, sustainability, and circularity across the ore-to-steel value chain,” Electra said in a statement.
Iron ore supplier BHP, also an investor in Electra, is supplying the iron ore for the pilot plant.
“Clean iron produced from a wide variety of ore types is the key constraint to decarbonizing the steel industry sustainably. With support from our partners across the value chain, the pilot brings us closer to our goal of producing millions of tonnes of clean iron by the end of the decade,” stated Electra CEO and co-founder Sandeep Nijhawan.
In addition to BHP Ventures, those partners include Nucor, which invested in Electra in 2022, Amazon, the Bill Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and others.
Commenting on the pilot plant, Noah Hanners, Nucor’s EVP of raw materials, said it “is a significant step towards a cleaner, more sustainable, and circular industry.”
“Electra’s pure iron metal is uniquely positioned to allow the upcycling of a broader range of steel scrap into higher-value sustainable steel products, improving the circularity and sustainability of the steel industry,” Hanners added.
Laura Miller
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