Coolbrook lands €2.5M grant to electrify steelmaking
What's the deal? Finnish technology company CoolbrookDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has won a €2.5 million grant from Business FinlandDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → to accelerate the decarbonisation of steel production.
The award funds Coolbrook's role in the FutSteel project, part of the Sustainable World through Steels ecosystem led by Swedish steelmaker SSABDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. Coolbrook's total project scope runs to €5 million.
The money will develop its RotoDynamic Heater (RDH) technology, which uses renewable electricity to reach temperatures up to 1700°C with zero operational CO2 emissions.
Why now? Coolbrook recently deployed its RDH technology at commercial scale in the cement industry with Ambuja Cement, part of India's Adani Group.
It is now extending that proven engineering to steel, one of the world's most carbon-intensive industries. The project targets blast furnace processes, electrified reheating, and hydrogen-based steel production.
"Having already demonstrated the commercial viability of our electrification technology in the cement sector, we are now focused on delivering the same transformative impact for steel," said chief executive officer Joonas Rauramo.
What could go wrong? Steelmaking is a hard-to-abate sector that traditionally burns fossil fuels to hit extreme temperatures.
Swapping that for electrified heating at industrial scale is unproven in steel, and commercial deployment remains some way off. The grant funds modelling, equipment, and intellectual property work, not yet a full rollout.
The signal: Heavy industry is the next frontier for electrification, after power and transport captured most early decarbonisation attention. Coolbrook says its rotating technology could cut 2.4 billion tonnes — roughly 30% — of annual CO2 emissions across heavy industry, and the backing from a government and non-profit funder like Business Finland reflects a wider push to build exportable green technology ecosystems.
Read more: finanznachrichten.de
Image credit: Clint__Budd
