After the first ZHyRON review meeting in Sandviken, Sweden, the online magazine “Metal Supply med Verkstäderna” interviewed Maciej Kaplan from GreenIron about the EU climate initiative for the steel industry.  

Read the translation below. 

“We are part of the solution” – GreenIron joins the EU climate initiative for the steel industry  

According to Maciej Kaplan, who is responsible for the ZHyRON project at GreenIron, the initiative represents both a recognition of the company’s technology and an important step towards more sustainable steel production in Europe. In an interview with Metal Supply, he explains more. 

“It is both strategically important and clear proof that we are part of the solution for Europe’s green transition. The collaboration is not only a recognition of our technology but also a valuable platform for knowledge exchange, shared learning, and technology development together with other players in Europe. Together we are working to develop new circular recycling flows for residual materials from the steel industry, in line with the EU’s target of climate neutrality by 2050 and a 35 per cent reduction in carbon emissions within the steel industry,” says Maciej Kaplan. 

GreenIron has developed a technology that makes it possible to recycle steel industry by-products without using fossil fuels. 

“GreenIron enables fossil-free recycling of by-products instead of sending them to landfill – reducing the climate footprint while increasing resource efficiency,” Kaplan explains. 

So what is the challenge? Residual materials that currently cannot be recycled. 

According to him, one of the industry’s biggest challenges is managing the enormous volume of by-products generated in steel production. 

“Today, around 50 million tonnes of by-products are recycled annually, but the existing methods are often fossil-based and emit almost as much carbon dioxide – around 49 million tonnes per year. In addition, up to 250,000 tonnes of zinc-containing materials cannot be recycled at all and end up in landfills – and this is exactly what the ZHyRON project aims to address,” Kaplan explains. 

He emphasises that collaboration across the entire value chain is essential to achieving the EU’s climate targets. 

“The challenge is that many stakeholders need to start working together and move in the same direction to reach climate neutrality by 2050 and achieve a 35 per cent reduction in CO₂ emissions within the steel industry. We contribute with both technology and expertise, and we take part in collaborative projects such as ZHyRON,” he says. 

“In ten years, fossil-free recycling will be a natural part of the steel value chain.” 

If successful, GreenIron sees major benefits from the technology. Kaplan describes these benefits as threefold. 

For the climate, it means significantly reduced carbon emissions from recycling and material production. For industry, it increases material recovery and resource efficiency. For society, it enables better resource management and strengthens the competitiveness of the European steel industry. 

He highlights that the ZHyRON project is developing a hydrogen-based recycling route that can both remove zinc from iron-bearing material flows and recover iron as DRI (Direct Reduced Iron) as well as zinc. 

“This strengthens Europe’s strategic raw material independence,” he adds. 

Looking ahead, Kaplan hopes that GreenIron’s technology will be fully integrated into the European steel value chain. 

“In ten years’ time, fossil-free recycling will be a natural part of the steel value chain. GreenIron’s technology will be widely used to recycle by-products – on-site or close to our customers – and contribute to local circular production flows. That means fossil-free and more resource-efficient steel production,” says Maciej Kaplan. 

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