Metso advances fossil-free steel production with inauguration of Circored hydrogen pre-reduction pilot plant in Frankfurt

Metso advances fossil-free steel production with inauguration of Circored hydrogen pre-reduction pilot plant in Frankfurt

(IN BRIEF) Metso has inaugurated its Circored™ pilot plant in Frankfurt to accelerate the shift toward fossil-free steelmaking. The facility operates using hydrogen as the sole reducing agent in a nearly carbon-free process that integrates heating, reduction, gas cleaning, and recirculation technologies. Designed to handle a broad range of ore types, the plant provides valuable operating data to guide the construction of commercial-scale Circored™ plants. The technology can also be paired with Metso’s DRI Smelting Furnace or other smelting solutions, making it a flexible option for steel producers. As part of the company’s Metso Plus offering, Circored™ reinforces Metso’s leadership in delivering innovative pathways for decarbonizing the steel industry.

(PRESS RELEASE) ESPOO, 11-Sep-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Metso has taken an important step toward fossil-free steel production with the inauguration of its Circored™ pre-reduction pilot plant in Frankfurt, Germany. The facility highlights the company’s ambition to accelerate the decarbonization of heavy industry by advancing hydrogen-based solutions for direct reduced iron (DRI).

At the core of the pilot plant is Metso’s proprietary Circored™ process, which relies exclusively on hydrogen as the reducing agent. The setup incorporates advanced pre-heating, gas cleaning, dust and hydrogen recirculation, and electric heating systems, creating a nearly carbon-free operation. The facility is designed to generate critical process data, enabling the scale-up of Circored™ technology to full commercial operations.

“The launch of this pilot plant is a vital proof point for the readiness of our Circored™ process,” said Parizat Pandey, Director, Direct Reduced Iron at Metso. “It gives us the platform to optimize operating parameters, test a wide range of iron ore types, and help our customers move decisively toward low-carbon steelmaking.”

By providing the ability to trial diverse ore qualities, the pilot plant strengthens Metso’s capacity to design future industrial-scale facilities tailored to customer needs. The Circored™ process can also be combined with the company’s DRI Smelting Furnace or other smelting methods, giving steelmakers flexibility in their transition strategies.

Both Circored™ and the DRI Smelting Furnace form part of Metso Plus, a portfolio dedicated to helping industries cut emissions while maintaining productivity and competitiveness. The pilot plant in Frankfurt demonstrates Metso’s role as a frontrunner in technologies that can redefine steel production and reduce global reliance on fossil fuels.

More details about Circored™ are available on Metso’s website.

Metso is a frontrunner in sustainable technologies, end-to-end solutions and services for the aggregates, minerals processing and metals refining industries globally. We improve our customers’ energy and water efficiency, increase their productivity, and reduce environmental risks with our product and service expertise. We are the partner for positive change.

Metso is headquartered in Espoo, Finland. At the end of 2024 Metso had close to 17,000 employees in around 50 countries, and sales in 2024 were about EUR 4.9 billion. Metso is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki. metso.com

Media Contacts:

Parizat Pandey, Director, Direct Reduced Iron (DRI), Metso, tel. +49 172 6873563, email: parizat.pandey(at)metso.com

Heidi Valle, Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs, Metso Corporation, tel. +358 20 141 3406, email: heidi.valle(at)metso.com

SOURCE: Metso