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DEVELOPING LOW-COST, LOW-EMISSION IRONMAKING TECHNOLOGY
INSIGHTS 2026
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ron and steel are essential materials used to build almost everything in the world — from skyscrapers and cars to bridges and wind turbines. But did you know that the current methods of iron and steelmaking account for approximately 7–9% of all global carbon dioxide emissions? That’s why, in the drive to reduce the rise in global average temperatures, finding a cleaner and greener way to make these important products becomes evermore important. Professor Yansong Shen, who leads the UNSW SCoPE Lab for Green Metals (SCoPE), is spearheading research to develop low-cost and low-emission ironmaking technologies. He said that finding the right solution quickly to the challenge of producing iron and steel in a more sustainable way is vital, given how abundantly such metals are used and because manufacturing plants are likely to last for decades. In the steel industry, dominantly, iron is first produced by smelting iron ore at very high temperatures in a blast furnace powered by fossil fuels — specifically coke (a form of carbon made from coal). Then, steel is made through a secondary process that takes the molten iron and removes impurities in a basic oxygen furnace or electric arc furnace. “Steel underpins almost all the structures and machines that we use every day, and demand for these metals is expected to persist well into the future,” said Shen, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.
“An iron-and-steelmaking plant lasts for decades, so when you build one you are actually locking in the level of greenhouse gas emissions for many years into the future. “So that is why it is so important to find viable solutions to the problem as fast as we possibly can, to produce greener versions of quality iron and steel that also maintain the levels of supply needed for the global market. That’s the only practical pathway for change. “These green metals have the same properties as ‘normal’ iron and steel. That is, they are just as strong, just as durable and look the same. “So car manufacturers, builders and engineers can use these in exactly the same way with no compromise in safety or performance.” Shen explained the various options to transform the iron and steelmaking industry and what challenges still need to be overcome, in terms of decarbonisation potential and, more importantly, production cost.
THE SIZE OF THE PROBLEM As mentioned earlier, iron and steel production is responsible for around 7–9% of global CO2 emissions. That’s more than any other industrial sector, including aviation (~2.5%), shipping (~2.3%) and even mining (4–7%). As populations grow and urbanisation accelerates, the global demand for steel and iron shows no sign of slowing. This makes the need for greener production of these metals so important.