Feb. 09, 2023
Nippon Steel Corporation
Nippon Steel Corporation (hereinafter "Nippon Steel") decided to implement
demonstration experiment for the hydrogen-rich gas injection technique in No. 2 blast furnace of East
Nippon Works Kimitsu Area using hydrogen generated in the works. In preparation for the launch of
demonstration experiments in January 2026, Nippon Steel will start installing the equipment for
demonstrating the hydrogen-rich gas injection technique. The hydrogen reduction demonstration using a
large-scale actual blast furnace of 4,500 m3 is the first advanced trial in the world.
In the Nippon Steel Carbon Neutral Vision 2050, announced in March 2021, Nippon Steel aims to achieve
carbon neutrality using the following three ultra-innovative breakthrough technologies: (1) reduction with
hydrogen in blast furnaces, (2) high-grade steel production in large-sized EAFs, and (3) hydrogen use in
direct iron reduction process.
Among them, for the target of "reduction with hydrogen in blast furnaces," since hydrogen
reduction is an endothermic reaction, new technologies of controlling the temperature and the reduction
reaction inside the blast furnace need to be developed. Nippon Steel has been working on developing these
technologies using the COURSE50 test furnace (12 m3) in East Nippon Works Kimitsu Area since
2008. Because Nippon Steel obtained favorable results from this development, it decided to carry out
demonstration tests without delay using an operating large-scale blast furnace that is about 400 times
larger than the test plant.
In parallel with this development, Nippon Steel is now developing the Super COURSE50 technology, which
uses additional hydrogen from outside to further reduce CO2 emissions using the test furnace (12
m3) on the premises of East Nippon Works Kimitsu Area. Along with the demonstration results at
the Kimitsu No. 2 blast furnace, Nippon Steel will establish the Super COURSE50 technology (reduction of
50% in CO2 emissions) at large-scale blast furnaces by fiscal 2050.
This demonstration has been selected as one of the Green Innovation Fund projects under the NEDO (New
Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization). A consortium has been formed to conduct
related development projects by the following four organizations: Nippon Steel Corporation, JFE Steel
Corporation, Kobe Steel, Ltd., and The Japan
Research and Development Center for Metals.
Nippon Steel will continue to contribute to societal advancement through activities in the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the UN ("Affordable clean energy" and "Industry,
innovation and infrastructure")
