VTT Researcher Wins International Recognition for Innovation in Fossil-Free Steelmaking

June 30, 2025 – the FFS2 consortium and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland are proud to announce that researcher Vesa Hahto has won second place in the international Metal2025 conference poster competition, held from May 21–23 in Brno, Czech Republic. His presentation, “High-Quality Syngas for Steelmaking by Oxy-Gasification,” was selected from among 85 entries from across the world.

Hahto’s work addresses one of the most critical challenges in the global metals industry: decarbonizing iron and steel production. His research introduces an innovative approach to producing synthetic gas (syngas) through oxy-gasification, offering a low-carbon alternative to traditional blast furnace processes. The poster was commended for its comprehensive energy and mass balance modeling and a robust techno-economic analysis of using syngas as a reducing agent in steelmaking.

“This recognition underlines the scientific quality and industrial relevance of our work,” said Vesa Hahto. “Our results show that synthetic gas, when produced and applied efficiently, can form a viable path toward fossil-free steelmaking.”

The research was presented as part of the FFS2 – Towards Fossil-Free Steel project, a major Finnish R&D consortium funded by Business Finland and coordinated by Macon Oy. The project brings together leading industrial partners, including SSAB and Ovako, and top research institutions VTT, the University of Oulu, and Åbo Akademi. FFS2’s goal is to accelerate the transition to climate-neutral steel by developing scalable technologies based on hydrogen, bio-based carbon sources, and circular economy principles.

The findings offer practical insights for decision-makers, policymakers, and industry leaders seeking effective solutions to reduce emissions from steel production. The proposed concepts can be adapted to various national contexts by tuning input parameters to match the availability of clean electricity and sustainable raw materials.

To validate the approach, further pilot-scale experiments are recommended, especially for testing the direct reduction of iron using syngas under real-world conditions.

The Metal2025 conference hosted participants from 27 countries, providing a high-level platform for presenting cutting-edge research and industrial advancements in metallurgy.