China Pioneers MPa-Class High-Pressure Hydrogen Shaft Furnace: Pilot Run Hits 95%+ Metallization Rate

BEIJING, July 2026 — In a major leap for low-carbon metallurgy, China has successfully completed the full-process pilot run of its independently developed 50,000-tonne-per-year high-pressure hydrogen-based shaft furnace. Co-developed by Changzheng Engineering Co., Ltd. (CECO)—a subsidiary of China Aerospace Long March Chemical Engineering Corporation—and a research team led by Professor Zhang Jianliang from the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), the facility achieved a continuous metallization rate exceeding 95% for its direct reduced iron (DRI) product.

Operating at pressures ranging from 1 to 3 MPa under various H2Co ratios, the pilot plant ran with exceptional stability. This operating pressure significantly outperforms existing domestic and international hydrogen-based shaft furnace technologies, marking a critical milestone in China’s independent R&D of core green steelmaking processes and equipment.

Conquering High-Pressure Frontiers in Hydrogen Metallurgy

The hydrogen-based shaft furnace is the heart of hydrogen metallurgy. Elevating its operating pressure increases the partial pressure of the reducing gas and accelerates reduction kinetics. This pressure boost substantially elevates the volumetric productivity of the furnace, slashes energy consumption per tonne of iron, and achieves optimal pressure matching with upstream hydrogen production and gas purification systems.

However, high-pressure operations introduce formidable engineering challenges, including complex gas-solid reduction kinetics, multiphase flow control issues, and ultra-stringent safety requirements. With no mature global precedents to draw upon, this had long remained an unsolved technical bottleneck in the steel industry.

To break this impasse, the joint R&D team combined their complementary strengths:

• CECO leveraged its deep expertise in large-scale aerospace systems engineering, high-end equipment manufacturing, and complex chemical process control.
• Professor Zhang’s USTB team provided academic insights into hydrogen reduction mechanisms, reactor structure optimization, and process parameter tuning.

Through joint research on gas-solid reactions and multiphase flow behavior under high-pressure conditions, the partners successfully resolved the core challenges of precise parameter regulation and system safety. 

Seamless Execution from Concept to Premium DRI

Initiated in late 2024, the project progressed rapidly through a completely independent workflow spanning process development, core equipment design, construction, and commissioning.

The timeline highlights the project's aggressive pacing:

• March 2025: Construction commenced.
• July 2025: Fabrication of core equipment completed.
• May 2026: System reached test readiness.
• Late June 2026: First batch of premium DRI successfully produced.

During the trial phase, the team maintained a round-the-clock shift system. Through real-time centralized monitoring, rigorous on-site inspections, multi-scenario process simulations, and proactive emergency drills, the team ensured a safe, stable, and highly controllable run that fully met all preset targets for the initial trial round. 

Three Strategic Breakthroughs Anchoring the Green Transition

According to the joint R&D team, the success of this pilot run delivers three landmark advancements for the industry’s green, low-carbon transformation:

• Technological Breakthrough: Validated the key process routes, proprietary equipment, and operational reliability of the high-pressure hydrogen shaft furnace, proving the technical superiority of the design.
• Industrial Chain Capability: Established a fully localized, self-reliant industrial chain spanning fundamental academic research, engineering design, equipment manufacturing, and project construction.
• Strategic Breakthrough: Laid a solid technical foundation for China's steel sector to achieve technological self-reliance and accelerate deep decarbonization.

Moving forward, the joint team will continue to optimize process parameters, unlock further performance potential, and accumulate critical industrial data. This data will pave the way for industrial demonstration plants and large-scale commercial deployment. Furthermore, this successful industry-academia collaboration serves as a highly replicable model for translating cutting-edge university research into solutions for vital national engineering challenges.