Green primary iron could help South Africa offset fall in coal export revenues – study

Producing carbon-free primary iron in South Africa using green hydrogen direct reduced iron (GHDRI) technology could create a new globally competitive green export industry that could help offset the losses associated with the eventual decline in coal exports, a new study shows. Such exports would also reduce the cost of decarbonising global steel production, owing to the relative cost advantages of producing renewable energy in South Africa and, therefore, green hydrogen. Producing GHDRI involves a new type of furnace that uses hydrogen for the direct reduction of the iron-ore, as opposed to the traditional route that uses coke.