Danieli, a supplier of iron and steel making plants, and newcleo SA, a nuclear energy provider, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore nuclear-powered green steel production.

The agreement will study the feasibility of integrating newcleo’s Lead-cooled Fast Reactors (LFR) with Danieli’s steelmaking technology.

The companies hope to leverage the capability of LFRs to provide a combination of electricity and high temperature heat, focusing on developing potential integrated solutions where newcleo’s innovative LFRs provide both the electricity and high-temperature heat required to feed some of the Danieli Technologies processes for green steel production.

The agreement could lead to energy supply solutions across the iron and steel value chain, including in applications linked to the Danieli Digital Melter and possibly the production of Green Hydrogen to power Danieli’s Energiron Direct Reduction Technology to produce metallic iron.

Stefano Buono, founder and CEO of newcleo, said: “Danieli is at the forefront of the steelmaking industry’s effort towards decarbonization and net zero, objectives which are ever more entangled with competitiveness and energy costs. Our objective through this collaboration is to provide steel manufacturers with economically viable solutions for the production of green steel. By combining our technologies, we will look to open up great opportunities for the global steel industry, not only by addressing the direct needs of steel makers, but also by propelling global supply chains towards a new era of competitiveness and sustainability”.

Alessandro Brussi, chairman of the board of Danieli, added: “newcleo is an innovative player in the nuclear energy industry, looking to manufacture Advanced Modular Reactors and closing the fuel cycle like Danieli is doing in the iron and steel to have plant and process with zero impact. A solution to obtain low-cost fossil free energy is one of the key factors to move a step ahead in the decarbonisation of the steel industry.”