Steelmaker ArcelorMittal is set to pilot an innovative hydrogen production technology at its Juiz de Fora plant in Brazil, using blast-furnace waste gases as feedstock without relying on electricity. The project, now in its front-end engineering and design (FEED) stage, will deploy H2Gen, a solid-oxide reactor developed by Houston-based Utility Global.

The H2Gen unit uses the chemical energy in carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) off-gases, along with steam, to split water molecules and generate hydrogen. Rather than drawing power from an external energy source, the process generates its own electric current through internal gas reactions, offering a unique route to low-emissions hydrogen production.

If successful, the pilot could produce up to 3 tonnes of hydrogen per day. ArcelorMittal, which invested $5m into Utility Global via its XCarb Innovation Fund, has not yet specified how the hydrogen will be used but views the project as part of its broader decarbonisation efforts.