Tech Trends & Innovation: The Latest in Tech News
- Laureen Meroueh founded Hertha Metals to commercialize a cleaner, cheaper steelmaking approach.
- The one-step furnace converts iron ore directly into refined liquid steel, simplifying purification and processing.
- By swapping coal for natural gas, the process cuts greenhouse gas emissions by at least half versus traditional methods.
- The method lowers production costs about 25%, offering cheaper steel without sacrificing environmental gains.
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This founder is making cheaper, cleaner steel
The steel industry isn’t exactly known for innovation. Very little has changed about purifying iron ore since the process was invented and commercialized in the 1850s. But Laureen Meroueh, founder of Hertha Metals, has an idea that could change that.
Meroueh may have found a way to clean up steelmaking without driving up the price. Her new furnace turns iron ore into refined liquid steel in a single step and swaps coal for natural gas. Together, those changes slash emissions by at least half, she says, and cut costs by 25% compared with steelmaking as usual.
Here’s how she plans to make steel cleaner without making it more expensive.
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