Nippon Steel announced a major milestone in its Super COURSE50 project, achieving a 43% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions through hydrogen reduction in its 12m³ test furnace. The achievement surpasses the project’s initial target and marks a breakthrough in decarbonizing steel production.

The Super COURSE50 project, launched in May 2022 at the East Nippon Works in Kimitsu, has shown steady progress. Tests conducted in 2022 demonstrated a 22% CO₂ reduction, which increased to 33% in 2023. The latest trials, held between November and December 2024, confirmed a 43% reduction.

The key innovation involves replacing carbon with hydrogen as a reducing agent, shifting from an exothermic reaction with carbon to an endothermic reaction with hydrogen. To counteract furnace temperature drops, engineers utilized preheated hydrogen to stabilize the internal heat balance.

Looking ahead, Nippon Steel aims to further develop technologies to achieve more than 50% CO₂ reduction and accelerate the deployment of hydrogen-based steelmaking in larger blast furnaces.

The company has already announced plans to implement this technology in its No. 2 blast furnace by January 2026, leveraging hydrogen generated within the steel plant. This advancement underscores Nippon Steel’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality and reinforces Japan’s efforts to lead global steel industry decarbonization.