The steel industry, a cornerstone of modern civilization, faces significant
challenges. As one of our most used materials, steel and its production is a
massive global enterprise — with over 1.8 billion metric
tons
produced annually. However, this industry is also a massive polluter — responsible for approximately 11
percent
of the world’s total greenhouse gas output. Traditional steelmaking processes,
which rely heavily on carbon-intensive equipment such as blast furnaces, emit
around 1.8 tons of CO2 for every ton of steel
produced.
Additionally, the quality of iron ore — a primary raw material — is
declining
globally,
leading to more energy-intensive and costly extraction and refinement processes.
Enter Israeli startup Helios, a company leading
the transformation of this carbon-intensive industry. Co-founded by CEO
Jonathan Geifman, Helios
originally set out to solve the challenges associated with space exploration but
found itself with a solution to address Earth’s pressing environmental issues —
particularly, in the steel industry.
A journey from space to Earth
Geifman’s journey into the world of steel production is anything but
conventional.
“My official background has nothing to do with what I’m doing today,” Geifman
tells Sustainable Brands® (SB).
After nearly a decade in the Israeli armed forces, his passion for space led him
to co-found Helios — which initially focused on lunar resource extraction.
“I’m a space geek and it’s always been something I’ve wanted to pursue,” Geifman
explains. “I wanted to know why we haven’t done more as a species since
astronauts last landed on the moon in 1972. What’s happened since then? Why
haven’t we been back? Why are there no bases on the moon? Is it just funding?
Geopolitics? Lack of technology?”
He found that the answer was multifaceted — there were significant technical and
logistical challenges that had hindered progress. One issue was the sheer
complexity and cost of sending essential resources, such as oxygen, from Earth
to sustain lunar missions. Therefore, Geifman realized that producing oxygen
directly from lunar
regolith
(the Moon’s surface material) could drastically cut costs and facilitate deeper
space exploration. This discovery led him and his team to focus on developing
technologies that could leverage lunar resources efficiently.
“We learned that oxygen is going to be by far the most needed consumable on the
Moon, primarily for burning propellant,” he says. “Therefore, if you can produce
that oxygen on-site — rather than sending everything from Earth — you can save
billions of dollars. The most accessible oxygen on site is in the minerals on
the ground.”
While originally intended to support life and propulsion on the Moon, Helios’s
technology soon revealed its potential for an application on Earth: the steel
industry. The core of its innovation involved a method for extracting oxygen
from lunar soil, which could also be used to improve iron production here on
Earth. By adapting this lunar technology, Helios discovered a novel way to
produce iron without the high carbon emissions typical of traditional
steelmaking processes. This breakthrough led Helios to pivot its focus to
explore how its technology could transform iron production to address
environmental challenges in the steel industry.
Reinventing iron production
Iron production has remained largely unchanged for millennia, relying heavily on
carbon to extract iron from its ore. This method, while effective, releases vast
amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
“Traditional steelmaking process starts with iron ore, which is essentially iron
chemically bound to oxygen. This iron ore is then fed into a blast furnace,
where it is subjected to extremely high temperatures. To separate the oxygen
from the iron, carbon is injected into the furnace. The carbon reacts with the
oxygen in the ore, effectively pulling the oxygen away from the iron. What
you’re left with is liquid iron — which is then used to produce steel — and
carbon dioxide, which is released into the atmosphere as a byproduct,” Geifman
explains.
Helios has developed a process that substitutes carbon with sodium, a common and
abundant element found in table salt. This approach, called the Helios
Cycle™️, operates at
significantly lower temperatures — 250-350°C, similar to typical kitchen
oven temperatures — compared to the 1,200-2,000°C required by traditional
steelmaking methods.
By replacing the carbon with sodium to extract oxygen from iron ore, the Helios
Cycle eliminates CO2 emissions and operates more efficiently — reducing both
energy use and production costs by 30 percent — making it a more sustainable and
cost-effective alternative to conventional steel production.
The steel industry’s challenge isn’t just emissions — it’s also the declining
quality of iron ore. In response, Giefman says the mining industry uses a
costly, carbon- and energy-intensive process called
beneficiation
to upgrade ore quality.
Helios’ technology allows for the processing of lower-quality ores — those
typically considered unsuitable for use in traditional methods, due to their
lower iron content or higher impurity levels. In conventional steelmaking, these
ores would need to undergo a beneficiation process. By using Helios’ process,
these lower quality ores can be used directly, bypassing the need for such
energy-intensive beneficiation steps.
Compared to
hydrogen-based
methods, which also hold great
promise
for decarbonizing steel production, Helios’ approach also has advantages.
Hydrogen technologies struggle with high production costs, complex storage and
infrastructure needs, and can still be carbon intensive. In contrast, Helios’
use of sodium is more energy-efficient, sidesteps these hydrogen-related
challenges, and benefits from sodium’s wide availability and low cost — making
it a more practical and scalable solution.
Scaling for impact
Helios plans to build its first pilot plant next year, capable of producing
several thousand tons of iron annually, to demonstrate the technology’s
viability and set the stage for commercial production. Geifman explains that
after the pilot, Helios plans to start building its first commercial units —
with the first expected around 2028.
In the meantime, Helios’ potential for impact continues to grow — the startup has attracted
over $6M in seed
funding;
and just last month, the company forged a partnership with Australian steel
manufacturer
BlueScopeX and was
named a winner in the World Economic Forum’s UpLink Sustainable Mining
Challenge.
Helios also recently secured its membership in the World Steel Association
(WSA) — an exclusive network of the largest and most
established steelmakers in the world, representing nearly 90 percent of global
steel production. Membership is a mark of credibility and influence within the industry.
“We are the first and only technology company accepted as a member that is not a
steelmaker — they acknowledge that The Helios Cycle is the only technology that
not only decarbonizes but can commercially compete with current iron production
methods,” Geifman explains.
“The global steel industry is on the brink of unprecedented transformation over
the coming decades, necessitating a diverse portfolio of technologies to achieve
a smooth transition to a low-emission future,” Andrew
Purvis, Director
of Sustainable Manufacturing at the WSA, tells SB.
Purvis explains that in the medium term, the emergence of technologies such as
carbon
capture,
storage and
hydrogen
will be pivotal — and
innovative
and radically new
technologies
show significant promise.
“These include direct electrolysis and the Helios cycle, with sodium reduction
being an exciting innovation with an incredible story that could potentially
revolutionize steel production,” Purvis says. “Having multiple viable
technologies will greatly ease the industry’s transition toward sustainability.
Companies like Helios are essential to this effort, as their success will
broaden the technological options available to the industry. The more options we
have, the more likely a successful transformation will be — ultimately, paving
the way for a more sustainable steel industry.”
A vision beyond Earth
While Helios’ immediate focus is revolutionizing steel production on Earth, the
company hasn’t abandoned its space roots. Helios is still working on its
original mission, developing technology for oxygen production on the Moon in
partnership
with DARPA under the LunA-10
Program.
“The lunar environment is unforgiving, and being sustainable there isn’t just a
nice-to-have; it’s a must,” Geifman says. “We’re tackling carbon-intensive
industries in the short term; but in the long term, we aim for an ultimate
sustainable future — one where humanity’s impact on the environment is
minimized, or even eliminated. It’s a multi-decade journey, but we believe the
first steps need to be taken now.”
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Scarlett Buckley
Scarlett Buckley is a London-based freelance sustainability writer with an MSc in Creative Arts & Mental Health.
Published Oct 3, 2024 2pm EDT / 11am PDT / 7pm BST / 8pm CEST