Top 10 Technological Developments in the World Steel Industry in 2025

As the most authoritative professional media in the domestic steel industry, World Metal Bulletin has selected the "Top 10 Technological Developments in the World Steel Industry in 2025" through online solicitation, self-recommendation, initial selection by the newspaper, organization of online voting, and strict evaluation by industry experts. The content covers major technological innovations in the main processes of steel production, facilitating readers to have a comprehensive understanding of the major technological research and development trends in the steel industry.

1. The world's first complete set of CO2 capture and utilization project for blast furnace gas successfully went into operation

On December 30, 2025, the global first complete set of a 30,000-ton-per-year blast furnace gas CO2 capture and steel-making resource utilization project jointly constructed by Beijing University of Science and Technology and Bin Xin Steel was successfully put into operation. Against the backdrop of the "dual carbon" goals of the country, carbon capture and utilization technology has increasingly attracted high attention from the steel industry. After its commissioning, this project can separate and capture CO2 from blast furnace gas and apply it to the cleanification of blast furnace smelting, while achieving the enrichment of CO2 in the blast furnace gas and its high-value utilization as a chemical raw material.

This technology has overcome common challenges such as efficient and low-cost separation of blast furnace gas and high-value utilization of CO2, and has opened up a new path for the steel industry's CO2 capture and resource utilization for energy conservation and carbon reduction.

In August 2025, Beijing University of Science and Technology, together with Rizhao Steel Group and other enterprises, started construction of the world's largest-scale project for blast furnace gas CO2 capture and resource utilization with an annual capacity of 180,000 tons. The project is expected to be put into operation by the end of April 2026.

These projects provide replicable and scalable implementation paths for the steel industry's low-carbon transformation and sustainable development.

Comment: This project has achieved large-scale CO2 capture and resource utilization, improving the cleanliness of molten steel and the value of blast furnace gas, and has both carbon reduction benefits and economic feasibility. This technology path provides enterprises with a practical solution that combines emission reduction intensity and cost competitiveness, setting a benchmark for the industry's exploration of the deep integration of green and low-carbon development and high-quality growth, and has significant demonstration significance for promoting the steel industry to actively respond to carbon constraints and achieve sustainable development.

2. Key breakthroughs in "AI + Steel" technology drive the intelligent transformation of the steel industry

In 2019, the Northeast University Steel Common Technology Collaborative Innovation Center (hereinafter referred to as "Northeast University Collaborative Innovation Center") initiated the "AI + Steel" key technology research and development. With the successful application of a batch of advanced AI technologies in 2022, taking this development opportunity, the Northeast University Collaborative Innovation Center, based on a large amount of measured data from each unit of the steel production process, promoted the integration and collaboration of human intelligence and AI in each unit of the steel production process, and broke through the problem of online real-time prediction of organization and performance. It formed a human-machine hybrid intelligent system (HI).

The Northeast University Collaborative Innovation Center used the human-machine hybrid intelligent system established for each main unit of the entire process to successfully break through a series of "AI + Steel" key technologies and achieved multiple innovative results, such as intelligent ironmaking driven by data-mechanism-knowledge mixed driving, intelligent body collaboration in the blast furnace process for steelmaking, and prediction of hot rolling structure performance and intelligent optimization control of the rolling process. Moreover, during the implementation of "AI + Steel", an "industry-standardized general technology system for AI + Steel" was formed. Currently, these achievements have been implemented and applied in several steel enterprises.

To comprehensively showcase these innovative achievements, the Northeast University Collaborative Innovation Center held an "AI + Steel" technology launch conference on August 18, 2025, in Beijing.

Comment: The systematic breakthroughs of Northeast University in the field of "AI + Steel" mark the entry of the steel industry's intelligent development into a new stage; the proposed "hybrid intelligent" system provides a replicable and scalable technical paradigm for the industry; Deep cooperation with relevant enterprises has accelerated the implementation of artificial intelligence technology in key scenarios, effectively supporting the transformation and upgrading of the steel industry, and injecting core momentum into cultivating new quality productive forces and building new competitive advantages in the international arena for the steel industry.

3 The global first green electricity and green hydrogen fluidized bed hydrogen metallurgy pilot line has achieved full-process process integration.

On August 28, 2025, the global first green electricity and green hydrogen fluidized bed hydrogen metallurgy pilot line constructed by Ansteel Group was completed and achieved full-process process integration. This project was contracted by Ansteel Group Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. and has successfully produced green near-zero carbon direct reduction iron products with a metalization rate of up to 95%, successfully achieving the leap from laboratory research to pilot production.

This project relies on the new technology of fluidized bed hydrogen direct reduction iron, breaking through the problems of poor adaptability of traditional hydrogen metallurgy raw materials, low reduction efficiency, and loss of adhesion and flow, and forming a complete set of fluidized bed hydrogen metallurgy new technology process technology package with complete independent intellectual property rights; jointly with enterprises, universities, and research institutions, key core equipment is independently researched and produced, with the domestic production rate of key equipment reaching 100%, having strong replicability and scalability; using wind power and photovoltaic energy for green hydrogen production, achieving automatic, safe, and reliable continuous production and gas supply, and the technical level of hydrogen production DC power consumption and energy efficiency are advanced.

In the future, Ansteel Group will build a "green electricity to hydrogen - hydrogen metallurgy - green steel application" green steel supply chain, promote the construction of a 500,000-ton/year fluidized bed iron smelting industrial demonstration project, and contribute Ansteel Group's wisdom and strength to the green and low-carbon development of China's manufacturing industry.

Comment: The fluidized bed hydrogen metallurgy new technology of Ansteel Group has achieved nearly zero carbon emissions per ton of iron, and the produced direct reduction iron products have low impurity content, laying the foundation for Ansteel Group's "green steel" certification. Compared with the hydrogen-based vertical furnace, the fluidized bed hydrogen metallurgy new technology has advantages such as high reduction efficiency, wide adaptability of raw materials, and the ability to achieve near-zero carbon emissions, providing a "Chinese solution" for the development of hydrogen metallurgy technology worldwide, and can better leverage Ansteel Group's own mines' advantages, with huge future development potential.

4 MOE industrial electrolyzer officially put into operation and achieved ton-level liquid iron output

On March 12, 2025, the Boston Metal Company in the United States announced that its independently developed multi-inert anode molten oxide electrolysis (MOE) industrial electrolyzer was officially put into operation and successfully achieved ton-level liquid iron output. This is an important milestone for this technology to move from laboratory to large-scale application.

The core of the MOE technology lies in using high-temperature-resistant and corrosion-resistant inert anodes, which do not participate in the reaction during electrolysis and only release oxygen, completely avoiding CO2 emissions. This process can handle various grades of iron ore and even utilize low-value raw materials such as mining tailings, effectively reducing reliance on high-grade iron ore. The entire system adopts modular design, with high scalability and deployment flexibility, providing a low-cost and high-efficiency green transformation path for the steel industry.

The successful operation of this industrial electrolyzer has verified the feasibility of this technology in terms of large-scale, stability, and economic performance, marking a key step for green steel to move from laboratory to industrialization.

The company plans to deploy the first MOE demonstration factory in 2026 and has already launched key metal recovery business in Brazil, further expanding the application scenarios of MOE technology.

Comment: The MOE industrial electrolyzer technology achieves ton-level pure iron water output with zero carbon emissions through a "one-step electrolysis" process. This technology can handle various grades of iron ore and even mining waste materials, reducing reliance on high-grade iron ore and improving resource utilization efficiency. The successful operation of this technology has verified its feasibility in terms of large-scale, stability, and economic performance, promoting green steel from laboratory to industrialization, and providing a low-cost, high-efficiency green transformation path for the steel industry. Nanjing Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Nanjing Iron and Steel") collaborated with research institutions and enterprises to jointly tackle the technical challenges in the production of high-quality special steel using the short process electric furnace. They successfully formed a technical integration from green raw materials to low-carbon manufacturing, and achieved multiple breakthroughs in the production of high-quality special steel using scrap steel as the main raw material:帘线钢 was produced by smelting 100% recycled tire wire； a series of steel grades such as gear steel were produced using all scrap steel； crankshafts were realized without quenching heat treatment； steel for electric drive systems was directly carburized without isothermal annealing； drive shaft steel was exempted from heat treatment； and gear steel was refined by using the low-cost AlN microalloying technology at 1000°C for high-temperature carburization.

Based on the theory of "purity-uniformity-organization" for special steel， Nanjing Iron and Steel developed a series of high-end products： gear steel with a quenching hardness range of only 2-3 HRC； fastening steel with a delay fracture resistance of 15.9 grade； 2200 MPa suspension spring steel； and 4700 MPa帘线 steel. It also innovatively developed the AI for Product intelligent research and development paradigm， reducing the new product development cycle by more than 30%.

The series of low-carbon high-quality special steel from Nanjing Iron and Steel are widely used in major domestic and foreign new energy vehicle manufacturers， with a leading market share and significant economic and social benefits.

Comment： This technology supports a reduction of more than 20% in the carbon footprint throughout the entire vehicle life cycle； it has constructed a complete innovation loop covering low-carbon metallurgy， material production， intelligent design， and international certification， and the products have been the first to obtain the international authoritative "green steel" certification， effectively supporting downstream industries in responding to international rules such as the EU carbon border adjustment mechanism and breaking through green trade barriers； it has formed a replicable and scalable green technology integration paradigm for high-quality special steel， which has significant industry demonstration value for the transformation of the steel and high-end equipment manufacturing industries.

6 T/CISA 293 revision completed to support the green development of steel industry

On December 30， 2025， the China Iron and Steel Association organized and the Metallurgical Industry Information and Standardization Research Institute led the revision of "Guidelines for Benchmarking Energy Efficiency of Key Processes in Iron and Steel Enterprises" (T/CISA 293). This guideline is an important standard for implementing the spirit of the National Development and Reform Commission's "Several Opinions on Strictly Implementing Energy Efficiency Constraints to Promote Energy Saving and Carbon Reduction in Key Domains" and promoting the extreme energy efficiency project in the steel industry. This revision is closely combined with the national "carbon neutrality" goals and the energy-saving and carbon reduction requirements of the steel industry， and optimizes the energy efficiency benchmarking methods for key processes such as coke-making， sintering， ironmaking， and steelmaking， updates the technical conditions and process parameters of energy efficiency benchmarks. The revised guideline is more operable and industry-guiding， providing a scientific basis for enterprises to conduct energy efficiency diagnosis， identify energy-saving potential， and implement technical renovations.

Comment： T/CISA 293 "Guidelines for Benchmarking Energy Efficiency of Key Processes in Iron and Steel Enterprises" provides important technical support and practical basis for the revision of national mandatory energy consumption limit standards. After the revision， it will more accurately guide enterprises to carry out process energy efficiency benchmarking， promote the implementation of energy-saving technologies in enterprises， and help the steel industry achieve green and high-quality development.

7 Vertical semi-continuous casting machine successfully conducted hot trial production of the world's largest section continuous casting billet

In October 2025， Danelli Metallurgical Equipment (China) Co.， Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Danelli") and China First Heavy Industries Corporation (hereinafter referred to as "China First Heavy Industries") jointly completed the dual-flow vertical semi-continuous casting machine project. This project successfully achieved the world's first use of the vertical semi-continuous casting process to produce Φ1600mm ultra-large section continuous casting billets. This brand-new double-flow vertical semi-continuous casting machine located at the headquarters of China First Heavy Industry has undergone a hot trial, which has fully verified the operational reliability and system stability of the equipment under extreme harsh conditions such as high temperatures and full load. The surface quality, internal density, and dimensional accuracy of the cast billets have all reached the expected standards.

This project adopts the Danelli vertical semi-continuous casting process, which can be flexibly organized for production based on different capacity ladles. The weight range of a single cast billet is 100-200 tons. There is no need for online cutting, further improving the metal yield rate. The project employs the mobile dynamic electromagnetic stirring technology (EMS) which can stir along the length direction of the cast billet during solidification, ensuring high-quality, uniform, and continuous casting billets. Additionally, the induction heating system (EMH) is used at the end of the casting process to reduce shrinkage cavities and optimize the yield rate, further enhancing the metal yield rate.

Comment: The vertical semi-continuous casting machine launched by Danelli makes it easier for non-metallic inclusions to float and be removed, ensuring uniform heat dissipation around the cast billet and completely avoiding mechanical stress cracks caused by external forces such as bending and straightening. The combined advantages of the static pressure of the molten steel significantly improve the solidification and secondary solidification effect, providing a core guarantee for the quality improvement of high-end alloy steel and steel types with high crack sensitivity. The vertical semi-continuous casting machine not only reshapes the supply chain efficiency and quality standards of high-end equipment materials but also provides solid technical support for the independent control and self-reliance of major national equipment manufacturing.

8 The first multi-gas source multi-mineral type hydrogen-based vertical furnace process demonstration line in China was put into operation

In 2025, the 10,000-ton national production hydrogen-based vertical furnace process demonstration line independently constructed by China Metallurgical Sida was fully completed in Weiyuan, Sichuan Province, and successfully carried out direct reduction tests for different gas sources, different grade oxidized sintered ore, and vanadium-titanium magnetite. It achieved continuous, stable, and safe operation.

The metalization rate of ordinary mineral oxidized sinter and vanadium-titanium mineral oxidized sinter produced by this demonstration line reached a stable 94% and above for both, and CO2 emissions were reduced by more than 60% compared to the traditional furnace process. Compared with similar advanced foreign technologies, the production efficiency was increased by more than 15% and the comprehensive energy consumption was reduced by more than 10%, marking a significant breakthrough in the independent research and development of hydrogen-based vertical furnace direct reduction technology in China, providing a feasible and economically viable technical route for deep carbon reduction in the steel industry.

The hydrogen-based vertical furnace is the largest single-unit capacity direct reduction process equipment in the world with the lowest energy consumption and carbon emissions. It is one of the key technologies for the transformation from the long process to the short process in the metallurgical industry. Through original innovation, China Metallurgical Sida developed the CISDI HYGRIF® hydrogen-based vertical furnace product, which can replace the traditional ironmaking process using coke and coal as reducing agents, significantly reducing carbon emissions during the smelting process.

This technology has wide adaptability to gas sources and can flexibly switch the types of gas sources or adjust the gas source ratio, suitable for the smelting of medium and low-grade sintered ore and vanadium-titanium sintered ore, among others. The comprehensive utilization rate of iron in vanadium-titanium iron concentrate can be increased to over 90%, and the comprehensive utilization rates of titanium and vanadium can be increased to over 60%, helping China摆脱import dependence on iron ore and achieving efficient utilization of local minerals and important strategic resources.

Comment： CISDI HYGRIF® hydrogen-based vertical furnace is a significant achievement of China Metallurgical Sida in developing new quality productive forces and promoting green and low-carbon transformation in the industrial sector. As an original innovation achievement of China Metallurgical Sida， this technology broke the foreign technology monopoly and provided a key technical path for independent control and transformation from the long process to the short process in the steel industry， providing strong technical support for the comprehensive and efficient utilization of vanadium-titanium strategic resources in China， forming a replicable and scalable economic carbon reduction route adapted to China's resource and energy endowment. On December 5, 2025, the "Automotive Ultra-High Strength and Toughness 2400MPa Hot Forming Steel" jointly developed by Hebei Iron and Steel Group and Chery Automobile was officially launched. This marks a milestone breakthrough in the field of ultra-high strength automotive steel through the collaborative innovation of both parties.

The new generation of hot forming steel has achieved a synergistic breakthrough in both strength and toughness. While breaking the traditional constraint of insufficient toughness of high-strength materials and maintaining the forming performance and processing stability, the material strength has been significantly enhanced, with the tensile strength reaching up to 2400MPa, achieving a significant leap over the industry mainstream level. This technological breakthrough is the implementation of the research and development results of the cooperation between Hebei Iron and Steel and Chery Automobile, and is a phased outcome of in-depth collaboration in new material research and development, advanced process innovation, and engineering verification system between the two parties.

Compared with traditional materials, the innovative achievements of this product have three significant advantages: First, the strength improvement is remarkable, and the impact resistance of high-quality components is further enhanced; second, high strength brings more potential for thinner specifications, providing more possibilities for weight reduction of the entire vehicle; third, it combines toughness and formability, effectively alleviating the common problems of high-strength materials being brittle and difficult to process. At present