ELEKTRA project targets low-carbon steel with electrified reactors and hydrogen

The ELEKTRA project, led by Iberdrola and a European consortium, is developing three electrified reactor technologies to cut emissions in steelmaking. One reactor uses Joule heating to reform natural gas and direct reduced iron top gas into cleaner syngas. Another cracks green ammonia into high-purity hydrogen for direct reduction of iron ore. A third uses plasma to recycle CO2 into carbon monoxide for reuse inside the steel plant. The project aims to bring the reformer and ammonia cracker to TRL7 and the CO2 recycling system to TRL6, making them ready for industrial scale-up. Beyond steel, these technologies could also help decarbonize cement, glass, and chemical production. ELEKTRA combines electrification, hydrogen, and carbon circularity to tackle hard-to-abate industrial heat.