Iron and Steel: Hydrogen
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of international collaboration on hydrogen‑based steel production.
Answered by Chris McDonald
The UK steel strategy sets out a clear vision for a less carbon intensive steel sector and a continued move towards the use of Electric Arc Furnaces for steel production.
An independent review on primary steelmaking, published alongside the steel strategy, concluded that short-term domestic demand for iron can be met through established imports of pig iron or Direct Reduced Iron (DRI). In the longer-term, to achieve net zero and remain competitive in global green steel markets, primary iron should come from DRI plants powered by natural gas, with a planned transition to hydrogen. See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/materials-processing-institute-uk-primary-steelmaking-review-2025.
Officials have engaged with companies both in the UK and abroad who are looking to build hydrogen-based steel plants to learn more about their proposed operations and the opportunities.
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