In other news, the Valencian government approved €76 million for BP-led renewable hydrogen and sustainable biofuel projects, while NaTran and Creos Deutschland started construction of the German section of the cross-border mosaHYc hydrogen network.
Meanwhile, Uniper completed the expressions of interest phase for its planned Wilhelmshaven hydrogen import terminal, which could ultimately handle 2.6 million metric tons of ammonia per year.
South Korea’s Posco and Australia’s BHP have signed a collaboration agreement to advance Posco’s hydrogen reduction ironmaking technology, HyREX, following a memorandum of understanding signed in October 2025. HyREX combines hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI) production using fluidized bed reactors (FBRs) with an electric smelting furnace (ESF) that melts the reduced iron. The HyREX process is designed to replace coal-based blast furnace steelmaking with hydrogen and electricity from renewable sources, reducing associated carbon dioxide emissions. Unlike many hydrogen-based ironmaking processes that rely on processed iron ore pellets, HyREX is designed to use fine iron ore directly. In the process, heated hydrogen passes through a series of fluidized bed reactors, suspending fine iron ore particles and removing oxygen from the ore. The reaction produces direct reduced hydrogen (DRI) and water vapor. The DRI is then transferred to an ESF, where it is melted and impurities are separated as slag. The ESF can process lower- and medium-grade iron ores, making the characteristics of the feedstock an important consideration. Under the collaboration, Posco and BHP will test BHP’s Australian fine iron ores to assess their suitability for the HyREX process, including their performance in fluidized bed reactors. The testing forms part of Posco’s plans to commercialize HyREX technology by 2030. “Under this agreement, Posco plans to verify the performance of HyREX technology in various raw material environments using BHP’s iron ore and strengthen the foundation for technology commercialization based on this,” said Posco.
