China debuts 'world’s first' million-ton hydrogen-electric steel line

China has launched what it calls the world’s first million-tonne hydrogen-electric steel production line in Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, operated by Baowu Steel and put into full operation on December 23, 2025. This facility uses an advanced hydrogen-based metallurgical electric smelting process that replaces traditional coke with hydrogen as the primary reducing agent, significantly reducing carbon dioxide emissions during iron ore reduction. The core unit is a million-tonne hydrogen-based shaft furnace producing direct reduced iron with high metallization rates, which is then processed into high-grade steel slabs using efficient green electric furnaces. This innovation is expected to cut carbon emissions by 50 to 80 percent compared to conventional blast furnace methods, preventing over 3.46 million tons of CO2 emissions annually—equivalent to creating around 2,000 square kilometers of forest. The project exemplifies China’s push toward large-scale green manufacturing in the steel industry, aligning with the goals of the 14th Five-Year Plan (