A reactor in the US state of Massachusetts that produces steel using only electricity has succeeded in producing a ton of steel for the first time. Molten Oxide Electrolysis (MOE) technology developed at MIT was transferred to Boston Metal in 2013 and aims to reduce carbon emissions from steel production to zero.
The steel industry accounts for 9% of global carbon emissions, and conventional methods emit 1.89 tons of CO2 for every ton of steel produced. MIT researchers investigated whether it is possible to completely eliminate these emissions and discovered that producing steel with electricity instead of coal-based fuels is the solution.
In MOE technology, iron ore and certain components are loaded into a reactor and heated to 1,600°C with electric current. In the process, oxygen is released instead of carbon dioxide, eliminating the environmental impact of steelmaking.
Over the last 10 years, Boston Metal has scaled its MOE technology from small-scale reactors to large reactors capable of tonnage production. A prototype plant opened in Woburn, Massachusetts in early 2025, producing one ton of steel. However, the production rate is not yet sufficient to meet industrial demand.
The company plans to build a commercial-scale demonstration plant in 2026 and license its technology to steelmakers. Boston Metal CEO Tadeu Carneiro emphasized that this is a critical innovation that will strengthen domestic production in the US.