How can the European steel industry remain competitive while moving towards climate neutrality? And what role can innovation, circularity, and policy play in securing the future of steel production in Europe? These are some of the key questions explored in Episode #2 of the RAW MATTERS podcast.
The episode is highly relevant to the broader discussions surrounding the HEPHAESTUS project. Peter Tom Jones is part of SOLVOMET KU Leuven, the communication and dissemination partner of HEPHAESTUS, which works to connect the project with a wide range of stakeholders across the European steel and raw materials landscape.
The discussion features Adolfo Aiello, Deputy Director General of EUROFER, the European Steel Association, alongside Peter Tom Jones and guest co-host Prof. Bart Blanpain from KU Leuven, an expert in steelmaking and materials engineering. Engagement with organisations such as EUROFER is important for ensuring that projects like HEPHAESTUS remain closely connected to the needs, challenges, and priorities of the European steel sector.
Although steel is not officially classified as a critical raw material, it remains fundamental for Europe’s industrial future and strategic autonomy. Steel is essential for renewable energy systems, mobility, infrastructure, and manufacturing. At the same time, the sector faces increasing pressure to reduce emissions while remaining globally competitive in an increasingly complex geopolitical and economic environment.
The episode explores several technological pathways towards climate-neutral steel production, including hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI), electric arc furnaces (EAF), hydrogen plasma technologies, biomass-based approaches, and carbon capture and storage (CCS). The speakers also discuss broader industrial and economic challenges, including global overcapacity, international competition, and the role of mechanisms such as the ETS and CBAM.
These discussions strongly connect with the goals of HEPHAESTUS, which focuses on improving circularity and resource efficiency in the European steel sector through the valorisation of steel industry residues. The project develops integrated processing routes capable of recovering valuable metals and mineral fractions from steelmaking by-products, helping reduce waste generation while strengthening Europe’s raw materials resilience.
Through the technologies developed within HEPHAESTUS, metal alloys containing iron, chromium, nickel, manganese, vanadium, and other alloying elements can be recovered and returned to industrial value chains. The project also contributes to zinc recovery and the reuse of secondary mineral fractions for applications such as mineral wool production, reducing the need for virgin raw materials.
The episode highlights that the future of green steelmaking will depend not on one single solution, but on a combination of technological innovation, industrial collaboration, circular economy approaches, and supportive European policies. In this context, HEPHAESTUS contributes not only through technological development, but also by supporting dialogue and cooperation across the wider European steel and raw materials community.
Watch Episode #2 of RAW MATTERS on Youtube
If you have been following the podcast already, thank you for being part of the conversation. And if you are just discovering RAW MATTERS now, this is the perfect moment to jump in! We would also really appreciate it if you shared the podcast with colleagues, friends, students, or anyone interested in Europe’s industrial future.
How to watch or listen to Raw Matters:
- Subscribe to our YouTube channel
- Subscribe to our Spotify
- Follow us on LinkedIn