GoKawiilHelix Carbon pitches electrolyzer that recycles blast furnace CO2 into iron-making gas
Helix Carbon has built an electrolyzer-based process that converts carbon dioxide from blast furnace exhaust back into carbon monoxide, which can be reinjected into the furnace to help reduce iron ore. CEO David Brown says the system can process raw, unpurified exhaust directly, unlike most electrolyzers that require concentrated CO2 feedstock. The company says this reduces the amount of coke needed in iron production.
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Rather than replacing blast furnaces entirely, as many steel-decarbonization startups attempt, Helix is targeting the existing infrastructure, which could make adoption easier and cheaper for iron producers already running blast furnaces. Brown frames this as a win-win that cuts emissions while improving profit margins, though the exact reduction in coke use and emissions remains unverified and, by the company's own account, still debated among scientists.
- Helix Carbon recycles blast furnace CO2 into carbon monoxide using an electrolyzer that can handle raw exhaust gas.
- The approach aims to reduce coke consumption in existing blast furnaces rather than replace them.
- The exact emissions and cost benefits of the process are still uncertain, according to the company's CEO.
Source: techcrunch.com — Tim De Chant, 2026-10-13
Published there as: “Helix Carbon says it can make iron cheaper by recycling blast furnace pollution”
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