ArcelorMittal to Unveil World’s First Industrial Scale Iron Electrolysis Plant

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Leading steelmaker ArcelorMittal, in partnership with John Cockerill Industry, will construct the world’s first industrial-scale low temperature, iron electrolysis plant.

The Volteron plant, targeted to commence production ion 2027, will produce between 40,000 and 80,000 tonnes a year of iron plates during the initial phase. Later, the plant’s production capacity will be lifted to between 300,000 and 1 million tonnes.

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The proposed plant will use a carbon free, cold direct electrolysis process to extract iron from iron ore using electricity. The pilot project has demonstrated the success of the process using standard iron ore. The electrolysis process creates iron plates, which are then processed in an electric arc furnace (EAF) into steel.

Brad Davey, EVP and head of corporate business optimisation, ArcelorMittal, said that the company intends to establish an industrial plant employing the technique within four years. That would be the world’s first plant to produce steel at scale via low temperature electrolysis, he added.

Meantime, Sebastian Roussel, President, John Cockerill said that the technology developed in collaboration with ArcelorMittal could make significant contribution to tackling global warming. Volteron would soon become a real game changer for the global steelmaking industry, he added.