Nippon Steel Advances Hydrogen-Based Iron Reduction Technology

Reducing carbon emissions has become an important issue for the global iron and steel industry. One technology receiving increasing attention is hydrogen-based direct reduction, which uses hydrogen instead of conventional carbon-based reducing agents to remove oxygen from iron ore.

On November 4, 2026, Nippon Steel announced a new milestone in its hydrogen reduction project in Japan. According to the company, its pilot shaft furnace operated continuously for more than 300 hours using 100% hydrogen as the reducing agent, producing more than 1,000 tonnes of direct reduced iron (DRI).

The test also involved lower-grade iron ore pellets, making the results relevant to the industry's efforts to expand the range of raw materials suitable for direct reduction.

How Does Hydrogen-Based Iron Reduction Work?

In conventional ironmaking, carbon monoxide generated from coke or other carbon-based materials reacts with iron oxide to produce metallic iron. This process also generates carbon dioxide.

Hydrogen can perform a similar reduction reaction. When hydrogen reacts with iron oxide, it removes oxygen and produces water vapor.

The simplified reaction is:

Fe₂O₃ + 3H₂ → 2Fe + 3H₂O

Using hydrogen in place of carbon-based reducing agents can reduce direct CO₂ emissions from the reduction process. The actual environmental benefit also depends on how the hydrogen is produced and the energy used throughout the process.

What Are the Main Technical Challenges?

Hydrogen reduction is not simply a matter of replacing one gas with another. The process requires careful control of temperature, gas flow and material properties.

Iron ore pellets must maintain sufficient strength during reduction. If they break down into smaller particles, gas flow through the furnace can become less stable.

Operating costs are another important consideration. The availability and price of low-carbon hydrogen will play a major role in determining whether this technology can be adopted on a commercial scale.

What Does This Mean for Iron Powder Production?

Hydrogen-based direct reduction and conventional iron powder production serve different purposes, but both rely on controlling the reduction of iron oxides.

In the iron powder industry, reduction processes are used to produce sponge iron powder with specific chemical and physical properties. Particle size, oxygen content, compressibility and consistency are important factors when selecting materials for different applications.

For powder metallurgy, welding, chemical applications and other industrial uses, manufacturers continue to focus on stable raw materials and reliable production processes.

At Shanghai Knowhow Powder-Tech Co., Ltd. (KPT), we manufacture water-atomized iron powder, reduced iron powder and other metal powder materials for industrial customers worldwide.

For product specifications or iron powder inquiries, please contact the KPT team.