According to an announcement from the university, researchers will explore the steelmaking potential of high-temperature solid oxide hydrogen electrolysis powered by wind and solar. 

“The process that we propose uses a high-temperature electrolysis system that can be directly coupled with the high temperatures of the shaft furnace where the iron ore conversion occurs,” said Luca Mastropasqua, a senior scientist with UCI’s Advanced Power and Energy Program. 

The project is a collaboration among UCI, Italy’s Politecnico di Milano and Laboratorio Energia Ambiente Piacenza, consulting engineering firm Hatch, U.S. fuel cell and electrolyzer manufacturer FuelCell Energy, and Southern California Gas.  

You can read more about the effort here.