Is Hydrogen the Silver Bullet for Decarbonization?

Abstract.The production of metals is directly responsible for producing up to 10% of anthropogenic carbon dioxide. To decarbonize the industry with an eye to carbon neutrality by 2050, a roadmap is emerging that involves interim measures such as carbon capture and storage. The use of hydrogen as both fuel and reductant is, however, viewed as the ultimate solution toward a net-zero extraction of metals. In this talk, this view is analyzed from technical and economic perspectives for the case of steel. The potential to use hydrogen as a reductant and the challenges against it are discussed.