Breakthrough Technology Conference 2025

worldsteel’s Breakthrough Technology Conference 2025 took place in Singapore, on 2-3 December 2025.

This event aims to provide a platform for the technical community to network, exchange and explore the technology options that will be necessary to decarbonise the steel industry.

Where available, the presentations delivered at this conference are available for download on this page.

Presentations

Day 1 – Tuesday, 2 December

Keynote speeches

The Grand Quest for Green Steel – Technology as Survival Strategy (Dr. Alexander FLEISCHANDERL, CTO Primetals Technologies Group & Global Head of Green Steel, Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH) (pdf | 8.01 MB) Industrial Clustering for Steel Manufacturing – Mechanism to Enable Technology Deployment and Scaling Up (Mrs. Olga RUDKOVSKAYA, Head of Department, Sustainability and ESG ADNOC) (pdf | 562.19 KB) Transforming Steel Production: The Role of Innovation, Collaboration, and Standards (Dr. Klaus PETERS, Secretary General, ESTEP) (pdf | 6.00 MB)

Session 1: Future of (green) energy demand and supply

Chaired by Dr. Baris ÇIFTÇI, Director, Industry Analysis, worldsteel
This session delves into the critical topic of future energy demand and supply, with a particular focus on low-carbon energy sources.
Evolution of energy demand and supply balance and possible impact on decarbonisation in the steel industry (Dr. Baris ÇIFTÇI, Director, Industry Analysis, worldsteel) (pdf | 1.35 MB) Reimagining Decarbonization: Unveiling Global Innovations and Regional Dynamics (Dr. Thomas HANSMANN, Chief Technology Officer, SMS Group (pdf | 3.55 MB) Ironmaking Modelling and Applications: Progress and Challenges (Professor Yansong SHEN, New South Wales University) - presentation not yet available

Session 2: Fuels & Reductants

Chaired by Andrew PURVIS, Director, Sustainable Manufacturing, worldsteel
The transition towards lean iron and steelmaking has several possibilities through innovative carbon recycling and reduction practices, as well as the use of low-carbon energy sources such as hydrogen, biofuels, etc. This session explores the pathways for the transition/bridge technologies.
Successful Full-Scale Implementation of Hydrogen as a Fuel (Dr. Joachim VON SCHÉELE, Global Director, Commercialization, Linde GmbH) (pdf | 3.98 MB) Innovation practice in coupling application of new advanced technologies of Hydrogen-Oxygen-Intelligent combustion - (Mr Leo LUO) (pdf | 5.55 MB) Innovation practice in coupling application of new advanced technologies of Hydrogen-Oxygen-Intelligent combustion (Mr. Leo LUO, Chief Researcher of Low-carbon, CITIC Pacific) (pdf | 5.55 MB) Sustainable Decarbonization of Iron ore Sintering by partial replacement of Coke Breeze with Bamboo Biochar (Mr. Indranil MAJUMDER, Chief General Manager, Sinter Plant, SAIL) (pdf | 2.66 MB) Development and Rollout of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Technologies in the Global Steel Sector (Dr. David T. KEARNS, Country Manager, Australia and New Zealand, Global CCS Institute) (pdf | 2.42 MB) Development of Carbon Recycling Direct Reduction Process using methanation process (Mr. Yasumitsu SHIMURA Researcher, JFE Steel Corporation) (pdf | 1.68 MB) CliHYDRA Project Update (Mr. Filippo CIRILLI, Decarb & energy Transition, RINA CONSULTING CENTRO SVILUPPO MATERIAL) (pdf | 7.77 MB) Progress of Low Carbon Blast Furnace Initiatives at CSC (Dr. Huang TSUNG-YEN, Leader, Blast Furnace Group, China Steel Corporation) (pdf | 6.67 MB) Commissioning of Baotou Steel Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage Demonstration Project (Mrs. Ban HUA, Deputy Director; Senior Political Affairs Officer, Baotou Iron & Steel) (pdf | 3.19 MB)

 

Day 2 – Tuesday, 3 December

Session 3: Novel & Breakthrough Technologies

Chaired by Dr. Rizwan JANJUA, Head, Technology, worldsteel
The breakthrough technologies are progressing at various paces while new technologies are being investigated. This session will contain updates on these and the scale up timelines.
HBIS Group’s DRI-EAF (HyMEX®) process of low-carbon emission automotive steel production (Dr. Menglong LI, Chief Researcher, Sustainable Development Research Center, HBIS Group) (pdf | 5.42 MB) Metallurgy and Technology for the Production of New Generation Single Phase High Formable High Strength Steels towards Low Carbon Steel Production (Dr. Amar DE, Director, Quality and Product Development, Big River Steel) (pdf | 4.22 MB) Fast-track in development of new hydrogen based smelting reduction technologies (Mr. Thomas BUERGLER, Managing Director/Metallurgical Competence Center, K1-MET) (pdf | 9.81 MB) Research and Pilot Plant building of Hydrogen-based Iron Ore Direct Reduction with Fluidized Bed in Ansteel, China (Mr. Guangyu MA, Director of Environment and Resource Technology Research Institute, Ansteel Group Corporation Limited) (pdf | 3.80 MB) Project NeoSmelt – collaborating to accelerate steel value chain decarbonisation (Mr. Christopher PAGE, General Manager NeoSmelt, BlueScope Steel Limited) (pdf | 2.22 MB) Update on the development of POSCO’s hydrogen-based Ironmaking process, HyREX® (Dr. Myoung Gyun SHIN, Senior Vice President, Low-carbon Iron and Steelmaking R&D Center, POSCO Holdings) (pdf | 10.93 MB) The Transition to Carbon Neutral Iron (Dr. Vincent CHEVRIER, General Manager – Technical Sales and Marketing, Midrex) - presentation not yet available (pdf | 5.50 MB) The Helios Cycle: A Decarbonized Iron Ore Reduction Process Through Sodium Looping (Dr. Hani FARRAN, VP R&D, Helios) (pdf | 3.57 MB)

Session 4: Feedstock (ore, scrap, pre-reduced material)

Chaired by Dr. Baris ÇIFTÇI, Director, Industry Analysis, worldsteel
In conjunction with energy, feedstock is another vital component influencing the process and technology. This session will contain presentations on innovations in scrap use, electrification, iron ore and metallics.
Optimization of EAF Fe Feedstock as Related to Steelmaking and Decarburization (Mr. Jeremy JONES, President, CIX Inc.) (pdf | 617.35 KB) The contribution of digital technologies in scrap treatment processes (Mr. Marco OMETTO, Executive Vice President R&D, DANIELI Automation) (pdf | 3.05 MB) Processing Western Australian Iron Ore in Electric Smelting Furnaces (Dr. Sa GE, Process Metallurgy Specialist, Hatch) (pdf | 1.51 MB) Integrating Machine Learning and Metallurgical Insights for Sustainable Electric Arc Furnace Performance (Mr. Narottam BEHERA, Lead Research – Iron & Steel Making | Research & Development, EMSTEEL) (pdf | 1.28 MB) BHP’S Partnerships in Steel Decarbonisation (Dr. Nigel TAME, Head of Steel Decarbonisation, Sales and Marketing Sustainability, BHP) (pdf | 1.85 MB) Ecoshipping - Decarbonization of the Steel Value Chain through Innovations in Shipping (Mr. Alexandre ANDRADE, Innovation Portfolio Manager, Vale and Ms. Michelle GONZALEZ, Head of Chartering, Long Term Contracts & Ops, Vale) (pdf | 2.46 MB)

 

Regional Decarbonisation Workshop

Chaired by Dr. Rizwan JANJUA, Head, Technology, worldsteel
Prior to the Breakthrough Technology Conference, worldsteel members shared updates on the latest developments in their regions.

Japan - Toshio Isohara, Nippon Steel (pdf | 3.04 MB) China - Li Yu, Vice Director General, Sci-tech and Environmental Protection Dept., CISA) (pdf | 4.13 MB) ASEAN - Wee Jin Yeoh, Secretary General SEAISI (pdf | 1.34 MB) North America - Mr Wim Van der Stricht , Group CTO Team - Technology Strategy - CO2 and Circular Economy, ArcelorMittal (pdf | 273.36 KB) Europe - Dr Klaus Peters, Secretary General, ESTEP (pdf | 2.68 MB) Latin America - Henrique Pinheiro, Project Leader, Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance, Alacero (pdf | 587.67 KB) India - Alok Sahay, Secretary General, Indian Steel Association (pdf | 6.78 MB)

Download agenda (pdf | 267.94 KB)

Link to photos on Flickr