Hydrogen Instead of Coal: A Cleaner Path to Finnish Steel

From fossil fuels to hydrogen – why iron matters
Iron and steel production is one of the world’s largest industrial sources of carbon dioxide emissions, mostly due to the use of coal in the reduction of iron ore. In my research, I explored how Finnish iron ores behave when hydrogen, a clean and carbon-free gas, is used instead of coal. This work helps us understand whether local ores are suitable for low-emission steelmaking – and how we can improve the process.

A timely step toward Finland’s green industry goals
This research directly connects to the urgent need to decarbonize heavy industry, especially as Finland and companies like SSAB aim to become global leaders in fossil-free steel. By studying how different Finnish iron ores react with hydrogen – including the influence of moisture in the gas – we took important steps toward understanding how to make the hydrogen-based process both efficient and reliable. The results have been published in peer-reviewed journals, which brings the findings to the broader scientific and industrial community.

Small reactions, big impact
During the grant period, the most important leap forward was successfully demonstrating how different ores and surface conditions affect the reduction process and final metal quality. One surprising insight was how even small changes in water vapor can impact the speed and structure of the reaction – something industries must consider when scaling up.

The joy of curiosity and real-world impact
What I enjoy most about this research is its real-world relevance. It’s exciting to see how fundamental lab work – heating tiny samples of ore in controlled gas environments – connects directly to one of the biggest environmental transitions of our time. Being part of a movement toward cleaner industry makes every experiment feel meaningful.

Aidin Heidari, a researcher at University of Oulu, received a 10 000€ grant from Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion in 2024.