Direct Reduced Iron Technology 2026 — PatSnap Eureka
Direct Reduced Iron Technology Landscape 2026
Iron and steelmaking account for approximately 7–10% of global CO₂ emissions. DRI has emerged as the central technology pathway for green steel transitions — attracting intensifying patent activity from JFE Steel, ArcelorMittal, LKAB, and more. This report maps the innovation clusters driving that shift.
Four Pathways Defining the DRI Landscape
Within this patent and literature dataset, three dominant reduction pathways and one emerging pre-commercial cluster shape the competitive landscape for direct reduced iron production.
Gas-Based Shaft Furnace with Top-Gas Recycling & Methanation
Shaft furnaces reduce iron ore pellets with a CO/H₂ reducing gas. The innovation frontier focuses on closing the gas loop — capturing top gas (CO₂, H₂O, CO, H₂), routing it through reforming and/or methanation/reverse-water-gas-shift steps, and reinjecting it as fresh reducing gas. PatSnap Analytics surfaces JFE Steel's systematic filing cluster across AU, EP, and BR jurisdictions as the leading signal in this space. A 2020 Institut Jean Lamour study demonstrated ~15% CO₂ emission improvement through computer-aided optimization of this route.
JFE Steel: 8+ filings 2025–2026Hydrogen Direct Reduction — Plasma Torch, Electrolysis & Hybrid Routes
Hydrogen (H₂) replaces CO as the primary reductant, yielding water vapor rather than CO₂. Key technical challenges include endothermic heat management and green hydrogen supply. ArcelorMittal's plasma-torch methane cracking patents and LKAB's hydrogen-from-electrolysis process represent the frontier. The HYBRIT consortium (SSAB, LKAB, Vattenfall) has advanced this from prefeasibility (2017) to pilot plant demonstration. Arizona State University's 2023 pilot achieved 91.8% average metallization at 870°C.
ArcelorMittal + LKAB leadingSolid Reductant & Biomass-Based Reduction
Coal-based solid reductant DRI using rotary kilns, rotary hearth furnaces (RHF), or paired straight hearth (PSH) furnaces represents an established but evolving pathway, particularly relevant where gas infrastructure is limited. Biomass is emerging as a coal substitute to achieve lower lifecycle carbon. Technological Resources Pty. Limited's biomass briquetting patents (AU 2022, DE 2023) target ≥85% metallic iron at 700–1100°C, representing an underexplored IP territory according to PatSnap landscape analysis.
≥85% metallization · biomass routeNovel & Pre-Commercial Architectures
Flash Ironmaking Technology (FIT) developed at the University of Utah reduces iron ore concentrate in seconds at 1175–1550°C, eliminating pelletization, with laboratory reports of >90% reduction. Fluidized bed hydrogen DRI (Montanuniversität Leoben), chemical looping DRI (CanmetENERGY), dual fluidized bed gasification-DR (Chalmers University, demonstrating −145% CO₂ vs. BF-BOF route), and two-stage pre-reduction systems (Zhongye Changtian, 2024) define the post-2030 frontier. Explore these signals via PatSnap Eureka.
>90% reduction · flash reactorDRI Innovation by the Numbers
Assignee filing volumes and jurisdiction distribution derived from retrieved patent records in the PatSnap Eureka dataset.
DRI Patent Filings by Assignee (2025–2026 Dataset)
JFE Steel Corporation leads with at least 8 retrievable patents filed 2025–2026, signalling a coordinated IP strategy for top-gas recirculation systems.
DRI Patent Filings by Jurisdiction
Brazil leads with 12 records, reflecting PCT national phase strategy targeting major iron ore markets. Australia follows with 11 records.
Who Is Building the DRI IP Portfolio?
Innovation is concentrated among a small number of large steelmakers and equipment suppliers. JFE Steel Corporation is the single most active patent filer in the dataset, with at least 8 retrievable patents filed between 2025 and 2026 across AU, EP, and BR jurisdictions — all targeting top-gas recirculation with methanation and reforming variants. This signals a systematic, coordinated IP strategy rather than isolated filings. R&D teams entering this space should conduct freedom-to-operate analyses around JFE's 2025–2026 filing cluster before designing gas management systems for shaft furnace hydrogen DRI plants.
ArcelorMittal holds 2 active EP patents (2025) on plasma-torch methane cracking for hydrogen DRI, plus leadership of the academic SIDERWIN electrolysis project — representing the largest steelmaker by volume building a hydrogen DRI IP position. LKAB (Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB) holds 3 BR-jurisdiction pending patents (2024–2025) covering renewable-hydrogen DRI, pre-heated ore charging, and metal oxide material production apparatus — upstream integration from mine to DRI. Explore the full assignee landscape with PatSnap Analytics.
Chinese participation is emerging: Zhongye Changtian International Engineering Co., Ltd filed a BR pending patent (2024) on a two-stage pre-reduction/deep-reduction system. Equipment suppliers including Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH and Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche S.p.A. are positioning for hydrogen-DRI product quality control. According to WIPO, PCT national phase entries into Brazil and Australia are a primary indicator of commercial intent in mining-adjacent technology sectors.
Five Signals Shaping the Post-2026 DRI Landscape
Based on filings and publications from 2022–2026 in this dataset, five directional signals are evident for technology strategists and IP teams.
Top-Gas Methanation & Power-to-Gas Integration
Multiple JFE Steel patents filed 2025–2026 systematically cover variants of a furnace top-gas loop incorporating methanation (Sabatier reaction), reverse water-gas shift, and CO₂ electrolysis steps. This represents a transition from passive gas recycling to active carbon/hydrogen management within the DRI plant, enabling variable renewable electricity and hydrogen inputs.
Plasma-Torch Methane Cracking for Turquoise Hydrogen DRI
Rather than steam methane reforming or electrolysis, ArcelorMittal's 2025 EP patents use plasma torches to thermally decompose methane into hydrogen and solid carbon (turquoise hydrogen pathway), avoiding CO₂ emissions from reforming while not requiring large-scale electrolysis infrastructure. The ArcelorMittal JP filing indicates active prosecution across multiple jurisdictions.
Biomass DRI at Commercial Scale
Two patents from Technological Resources Pty. Limited in AU and DE describe a distinct biomass briquetting and batch-furnace approach targeting carbon-neutral DRI without hydrogen dependence. This is notable as a pathway for regions with abundant biomass but limited renewable electricity or natural gas infrastructure. Filed patent claims are narrow and jurisdiction-limited (AU, DE), leaving significant white space for competing approaches.
Where DRI Technology Is Being Applied
The dataset reveals five distinct application domains for DRI, spanning primary steelmaking to energy storage and cross-industry catalysis.
| Application Domain | Description | Key Evidence | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| EAF Steelmaking Feedstock | Primary application across the entire dataset — high-quality iron unit feedstock for EAF-based steelmaking, displacing scrap or hot metal. HBI (Hot Briquetted Iron) referenced in melting behavior studies. | JFE Steel top-gas patents; HYL Technologies ejector-based cooling system patent explicitly targeted at EAF-grade DRI | Commercial |
| Green H₂-Based Steel Production | DRI as the linchpin of the emerging green steel value chain: renewable electricity → electrolysis → green H₂ → DRI shaft → EAF. LKAB patents describe renewable-energy-powered electrolysis integrated with DR. | LKAB BR patents 2024–2025; HYBRIT consortium (SSAB, LKAB, Vattenfall) advanced to pilot plant demonstration | Pilot scale |
| Energy Storage via Iron as Energy Carrier | Iron/iron oxide redox cycles as thermochemical energy storage media. Natural iron ores are reduced with electrolytic hydrogen during renewable energy surplus and re-oxidized on demand, releasing heat or hydrogen. Includes retrofitting coal-fired power plants for iron combustion cycles. | Graz University of Technology (2021); Technical University of Darmstadt (2022) | Research |
| Waste & By-Product Recovery | Nippon Steel's 2018 EP patent specifically processes iron-making dust (steelworks by-products) via RHF, demonstrating DRI as a waste valorization route alongside primary iron production. | Nippon Steel EP 2018 — rotary hearth furnace processing of iron-making dust | Commercial |
| Fischer-Tropsch Catalyst Precursor | Raw iron ore, potentially reducible to DRI-like forms, identified as a scalable, low-cost catalyst precursor for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis — a niche but notable cross-industry application. | University of South Africa literature (2021) | Niche / Research |
Identify white space across DRI application domains
Use PatSnap Eureka to map claim coverage by application area and find uncontested IP territory
What the DRI Patent Landscape Means for Your Team
Five strategic conclusions for IP strategists, R&D teams, and technology licensors derived from this patent and literature dataset.
JFE Steel's Top-Gas IP Cluster Demands FTO Analysis
JFE Steel Corporation is building the most comprehensive DRI process control IP portfolio in this dataset, specifically targeting top-gas recirculation with methanation and reverse water-gas shift variants. R&D teams and IP strategists entering this space should conduct freedom-to-operate analyses around JFE's 2025–2026 filing cluster before designing gas management systems for shaft furnace hydrogen DRI plants. Use PatSnap Analytics to map claim scope.
8+ JFE filings · AU, EP, BRH₂ Value Chain Is Bifurcating: Electrolysis vs. Plasma Cracking
The hydrogen DRI value chain is bifurcating into electrolysis-H₂ (LKAB/HYBRIT model) and plasma-cracking-H₂ (ArcelorMittal model). Each carries distinct capital cost, infrastructure, and carbon intensity profiles. Technology selection will depend heavily on regional electricity costs, natural gas availability, and CO₂ pricing regimes — making geographic market analysis essential. Consult IEA energy cost data alongside patent analysis.
LKAB vs. ArcelorMittal modelsBiomass DRI Is an Underexplored IP Territory
Biomass DRI (Technological Resources) represents an underexplored IP territory for regions in Southeast Asia, Brazil, and sub-Saharan Africa with biomass abundance and limited green hydrogen infrastructure. The filed patent claims are narrow and jurisdiction-limited (AU, DE), leaving significant white space for competing approaches. PatSnap customers have used this type of landscape analysis to identify and file in unclaimed technology areas.
AU + DE only · wide white spaceCarbon Content Control Is an Emerging IP Battleground
As hydrogen shaft furnaces produce near-zero-carbon DRI incompatible with EAF carbon requirements, both steelmakers (ArcelorMittal) and equipment suppliers (Primetals) are filing on post-reduction carburization methods. EAF operators and DRI technology licensors should monitor this space closely. Brazil and Australia are the primary filing jurisdictions — IP strategists should ensure portfolio coverage in these jurisdictions, as well as Japan and the EU, where active enforcement is most likely. EPO opposition proceedings are a key enforcement mechanism to track.
Carbon 0.5–3 wt% · Primetals + ArcelorMittalDirect Reduced Iron Technology — key questions answered
DRI is the production of metallic iron from iron ore via gaseous or solid reductants without smelting, yielding a porous sponge iron product typically used in electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking. Iron and steelmaking account for approximately 7–10% of global CO₂ emissions, making DRI the central technology pathway for green steel transitions.
JFE Steel Corporation is the single most active patent filer in the dataset, with at least 8 retrievable patents filed between 2025 and 2026 across AU, EP, and BR jurisdictions. ArcelorMittal holds 2 active EP patents (2025) on plasma-torch methane cracking for hydrogen DRI. LKAB holds 3 BR-jurisdiction pending patents (2024–2025) covering renewable-hydrogen DRI.
Three broad reduction pathways dominate: (1) gas-based shaft furnace reduction using reformed natural gas (CO + H₂ mixtures), (2) hydrogen-based direct reduction ranging from hybrid to full-hydrogen processes, and (3) solid reductant (coal/biomass/carbon composite) processes conducted in rotary kilns or rotary hearth furnaces (RHF).
Arizona State University's 2023 pilot study demonstrated 91.8% average metallization at 870°C with high H₂ recycle rates. Biomass-based DRI from Technological Resources Pty. Limited targets ≥85% metallic iron at 700–1100°C, and literature from Northeastern University and Dong-A University reports metallization degrees up to 85% for ore-coal composite pellets.
Rather than steam methane reforming or electrolysis, ArcelorMittal's 2025 EP patents use plasma torches to thermally decompose methane into hydrogen and solid carbon (turquoise hydrogen pathway), avoiding CO₂ emissions from reforming while not requiring large-scale electrolysis infrastructure.
Brazil (BR) is the largest single jurisdiction by filing count, with at least 12 patent records — reflecting Brazil's PCT/national phase filing strategy as a major iron ore producer and steel market. Australia (AU) has at least 11 patent records, spanning from 1998 to 2025 pending filings. Europe (EP/IT/LU/DE) has at least 7 records, predominantly from European integrated steelmakers.
Still have questions about the DRI patent landscape? Let PatSnap Eureka answer them for you.
Ask PatSnap Eureka About DRIAccelerate Your DRI Innovation Intelligence
Join 18,000+ innovators already using PatSnap Eureka to monitor hydrogen DRI patents, identify white space, and track JFE, ArcelorMittal, and LKAB filings in real time.
References
- Method for manufacturing direct reduced iron and DRI manufacturing equipment — ArcelorMittal, 2025, EP
- Method for manufacturing direct reduced iron and DRI manufacturing equipment (coke oven gas H₂ extraction) — ArcelorMittal, 2025, EP
- Method for producing direct reduced iron and DRI production facility — ArcelorMittal, 2025, JP
- Reduced iron manufacturing method — JFE Steel Corporation, 2025, AU
- Method for producing reduced iron — JFE Steel Corporation, 2025, EP
- Reduced Iron Production Method — JFE Steel Corporation, 2026, BR
- Reduced Iron Production Method (methanation CO₂ conversion) — JFE Steel Corporation, 2025, BR
- Method for producing reduced iron (CO₂ conversion via electrolysis) — JFE Steel Corporation, 2025, AU
- Production Method for Direct Reduced Iron (anti-clustering) — JFE Steel Corporation, 2025, BR
- Method of Production of Reduced Iron (pellet composition) — JFE Steel Corporation, 2025, BR
- A direct reduction plant and a direct metal oxide reduction method — LKAB, 2025, BR
- Method for steel production and process for manufacturing sponge iron — LKAB, 2024, BR
- Adjusting carbon content in direct reduced iron — Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH, 2025, AU
- Biomass direct reduced iron — Technological Resources Pty. Limited, 2022, AU
- Iron is directly reduced using biomass — Technological Resources Pty. Limited, 2023, DE
- Method and System for the Direct Reduction of Iron Oxide — Zhongye Changtian International Engineering, 2024, BR
- WIPO — World Intellectual Property Organization (PCT filing data)
- International Energy Agency (IEA) — Steel sector decarbonization data
- European Patent Office (EPO) — Patent enforcement and opposition proceedings
All patent data and statistics on this page are sourced from the references above and from PatSnap's proprietary innovation intelligence platform. This landscape is derived from a targeted set of patent and literature records retrieved via PatSnap Eureka and represents a snapshot of innovation signals within this dataset only — it should not be interpreted as a comprehensive view of the full industry.
PatSnap Eureka searches patents and research to answer instantly.