Brazilian steel producer CSN is using green hydrogen to power the No. 2 blast furnace at its Volta Redonda plant. The process was developed by Portugal's UTIS and named UC3. It is used in the hot blast stove of the blast furnace to improve thermal efficiency and reduce fossil fuel consumption to facilitate process stability.

The technology is also used by CSN at its Arcos cement plant to reduce fossil fuel consumption through the use of recycled hydrogen.

CSN Director Fabiam Franklin said that so far, it has been possible to increase the blowing temperature of the hot blast furnace by 7%, which not only reduces the coke consumption per ton of pig iron produced and carbon dioxide emissions but also improves productivity.