
The Green Blueprint Boston Metal’s path to carbon-free steel
Nov 7, 2025
Tadeu Carneiro, CEO of Boston Metals and trained metallurgist, discusses groundbreaking advancements in carbon-free steelmaking. He describes the astonishing emissions from traditional steel production and explains a revolutionary electrolytic process that significantly reduces CO2. Tadeu shares insights on the company’s first commercial facility in Brazil, the challenges of anode durability, and the importance of scaling innovative technology. With a focus on sustainability, he highlights investor partnerships and strategic goals to lead the charge toward a net-zero steel industry.
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Electricity Replaces Coal In Steelmaking
- Boston Metal uses electricity as the reducing agent, replacing carbon and producing oxygen instead of CO2.
- If powered by clean electricity, the process eliminates scope 1 and 2 manufacturing emissions for steel.
An Electrolytic 'Soup' Produces Metal And Oxygen
- Their electrolytic cell dissolves iron ore in a high-temperature oxide 'soup' and uses electrons to reduce metal.
- The core output is metal plus oxygen, simplifying chemistry compared with carbon reduction.
Anode Durability Was The Key Technical Hurdle
- The main technical challenge was designing an anode that survives 1,600°C while being bombarded by oxygen.
- Overcoming that materials and longevity barrier was crucial to making electrolysis viable for iron.

