Working in exclusive partnership with mechanical engineering group John Cockerill, ArcelorMittal said their Volteron plant will at first be set up to produce between 40,000 and 80,000 metric tons of iron plates, using a low-temperature electrochemical process to convert iron oxides to iron. 

ArcelorMittal said that based on results from a pilot-scale plant using standard iron ore, the process has proven to be highly efficient.

“This is a tremendously exciting development and opportunity for our company. We have been working on direct electrolysis technology for some time given the potential it holds to decarbonize steelmaking,” said Brad Davey, an ArcelorMittal executive vice president and head of corporate business optimization.

“Having now proven our energy-efficient, low-temperature process at a pilot level, the natural next step for us is to progress to an industrial plant. We intend to achieve this target within four years and be the first in the world to produce steel at scale via low-temperature electrolysis,” he added. 

ArcelorMittal said it hopes to start production in 2027. Once the technology has been proven at the plant’s initial scale, the intention is to increase the plant’s annual capacity to between 300,000 and 1 million metric tons.