The Horizon Europe-funded H2STEEL project has achieved a key milestone in the transition to climate-neutral industry by developing and testing a Proof-of-Concept (PoC) for the catalytic pyrolysis of methane using biocarbon-based catalysts. This innovation marks a crucial step toward green hydrogen-based steel production, directly supporting the goals of the European Green Deal and the EU’s industrial decarbonisation agenda.
The project, coordinated by Politecnico di Torino and funded under the European Innovation Council (Grant Agreement No. 101070741), brings together six partners from four countries, among which the business incubator I3P. Their collaborative work supports the EU Green Deal and Climate Target Plan 2030, as well as the long-term goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
The technology of the process
By moving beyond lab-scale trials, the H2STEEL PoC demonstrates how clean hydrogen can be produced with low CO₂ emissions, using an innovative process that valorises carbon rather than releasing it into the atmosphere as CO2. The main core is therefore catalytic methane pyrolysis: the technology was developed and tested at the RE-CORD (Renewable Energy Consortium for Research & Demonstration) facilities, and is designed for continuous, flexible operation under industrially relevant conditions including temperatures up to 900°C and different inlet streams (i.e. methane and methane/nitrogen blend).
The catalytic methane pyrolysis system is supported by a modular plant architecture comprising 12 fully integrated units that manage catalyst dosing, gas flow, heating, cooling, filtration, and control. Notably, the process enables continuous catalyst renewal, with the carbon deposited on the catalyst recovered as carbon-enriched biocoal, reinforcing circular economic principles and reducing the need for fossil-derived materials. The biogenic carbon consists of both the carbon derived from cracked methane during pyrolysis and the carbon originating from the catalyst itself.
Key outcomes of the PoC include:
- a real-world demonstration of low-emission hydrogen production through methane pyrolysis;
- capability to process up to 100% methane and produce hydrogen with low CO₂ emissions;
- use of biocoal-based pellets with high durability, water resistance and low dust formation during storage.
The final phase of the project
This innovation offers significant potential to reduce the climate footprint of hard-to-abate sectors such as steelmaking, while opening opportunities for technology transfer and new applications in carbon and hydrogen-dependent industries. A full patent application has been submitted.
H2STEEL is not only a scientific achievement, it is a direct response to Europe’s urgent need for sustainable industrial processes: the PoC proved that green steel is not a distant ambition, it is becoming a tangible reality.
Now in its final phase, the H2STEEL project is focusing on system optimisation, scale-up, and knowledge transfer to industrial stakeholders across Europe, further advancing the EU’s climate and energy goals.
