Spanish steel manufacturer Sidenor has begun using green hydrogen to heat molten steel in its production process, marking a new step in industrial decarbonisation efforts, reports H2-view.
The trial, conducted under the company’s IS2H4C project, involved replacing a conventional gas burner with a hydrogen burner during the ladle heating phase at Sidenor’s Basauri steel plant. According to the company, the hydrogen burner achieved the same temperatures as the traditional method, demonstrating the technical feasibility of hydrogen in this stage of steel production.
Despite the successful trial, Sidenor has not yet confirmed when or if the technology will be deployed at full scale.
Sidenor specialises in producing high-quality steels across two major plants in Basauri and Azkoitia, with additional downstream and forging operations, including a facility in Reinosa.
The test comes amid broader industry caution on the pace of green steel adoption. Analysts warn that large-scale hydrogen-based steelmaking is unlikely within the next decade unless green hydrogen costs fall significantly.
A May report by IDTechEx noted that steelmakers need low-carbon hydrogen priced at approximately $2–$3 per kilogram to make hydrogen-based production commercially viable — a steep drop from current green hydrogen prices of $4–$8 per kilogram.
