Masdar, EMSTEEL complete MENA’s first green hydrogen steel pilot project

Masdar and UAE steelmaker EMSTEEL have announced the successful completion of a pilot project using green hydrogen to produce low-carbon steel at EMSTEEL’s Abu Dhabi facility. The project employs green hydrogen to reduce iron ore in the steelmaking process, a method that can lower carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by up to 95%.

Now fully operational, the renewable hydrogen produced has been certified by Advance Labs per ISO 19870 standards for hydrogen, established during COP28. Additionally, Bureau Veritas has verified the project’s data, ensuring its adherence to international standards.

This initiative, the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, stems from a 2022 partnership between Masdar and EMSTEEL (then Emirates Steel Arkan). Masdar’s CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi highlighted the project as a benchmark in green steel innovation. EMSTEEL’s Group CEO Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi added that the collaboration will support the decarbonization of EMSTEEL’s operations and downstream supply chains, advancing the sustainability of the hard-to-abate steel sector.