Steel is one of the most carbon-intensive industrial sectors and remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels for high-temperature processes and reducing gas production. ELEKTRA addresses this challenge by replacing conventional fired, heat-driven reactor units with compact, efficient and flexible electrified alternatives powered by renewable electricity.

The project will develop and demonstrate three innovative reactor technologies for ironmaking. The first is a Joule-heated electrified reformer for natural gas and direct reduced iron top gas, designed to produce cleaner syngas while eliminating combustion-related CO₂ emissions. The second is an induction-heated ammonia cracker, which will produce high-purity hydrogen from green ammonia for hydrogen-based direct reduction and blast furnace applications. The third is a plasma-assisted CO₂ recycling reactor, which will convert process CO₂ into reusable CO, creating a circular carbon loop within the steel plant. Together, these technologies target major reductions in energy demand and CO₂ emissions across both existing blast furnace routes and future hydrogen-based steelmaking. ELEKTRA aims to demonstrate the electrified reformer and ammonia cracker at TRL7, and the plasma CO₂ recycling system at TRL6, creating a pathway toward industrial deployment and scale-up.