Overview
About Task 52
A cross-cutting international platform within the IEA Hydrogen TCP that connects active Tasks and partner programmes to advance understanding of hydrogen-enabled pathways for the decarbonisation of iron and steelmaking.
Why hydrogen and steel?
A defining challenge for global decarbonisation
Steelmaking is responsible for roughly 7–9% of global CO₂ emissions. Hydrogen offers a technically proven alternative to fossil reductants — positioning iron and steel as one of the largest future markets for hydrogen.
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Hydrogen can replace fossil reductants in direct reduced iron (DRI) and other emerging production routes.
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The transition depends on iron ore quality, renewable energy, hydrogen supply, infrastructure, trade and policy.
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Realising the opportunity requires coordinated, transparent and independent analysis across countries and institutions.
Task description
A cross-cutting collaborative initiative
Task 52 has been established as a cross-cutting collaborative initiative that connects multiple active Tasks within the Hydrogen TCP and builds bridges to other relevant IEA TCPs.
The Task provides an international platform to advance understanding of hydrogen-enabled pathways for the decarbonisation of steel production. Steelmaking is responsible for approximately 7–9% of global CO2 emissions, and hydrogen is a technically proven alternative to fossil reductants in direct reduced iron (DRI) processes.
By collating and synthesising knowledge, coordinating analyses and datasets across countries, and identifying research and demonstration gaps, Task 52 helps build a shared, evidence-based foundation for decision-making by policymakers, industry and the research community.
General objectives
Improving collective understanding
Task 52 works to improve the collective understanding of hydrogen-based iron and steelmaking across six interconnected dimensions.
Technology readiness
The maturity and reliability of hydrogen-based ironmaking and steelmaking technologies across the value chain.
Competitiveness
The economic position of hydrogen routes relative to incumbent fossil-based production under varying conditions.
Future scenarios
Plausible long-term trajectories for the sector and the conditions under which hydrogen routes scale.
Market outlooks
Demand, supply and trade dynamics shaping the adoption of hydrogen in iron and steel production.
System transformations
Broader energy, infrastructure and industrial changes required to enable hydrogen-based steelmaking.
Deployment pathways
Practical routes by which hydrogen-based iron and steelmaking can be deployed at scale across regions.
Specific objectives
Focused areas of work
To deliver on its mission, Task 52 pursues a set of concrete, complementary objectives.
- Assess material and energy requirements
- Assess readiness of hydrogen-based pre-reduction, direct reduction, smelting reduction and related routes
- Evaluate infrastructure and supply-chain requirements
- Examine global transformation pathways and trade
- Coordinate datasets and modelling tools
- Facilitate workshops, reports and joint publications
How Task 52 works
From evidence to a validated knowledge base
Task 52 connects literature review, expert assessment, modelling, project tracking, workshops and international collaboration into a coherent, transparent and validated knowledge base. This integrated approach ensures that findings are robust, comparable across countries, and useful to the diverse audiences the Task serves.
Governance
Relationship with the IEA Hydrogen TCP
Task 52 is carried out within the IEA Hydrogen Technology Collaboration Programme (Hydrogen TCP), one of a network of international collaborations operating under the framework of the International Energy Agency (IEA). The Hydrogen TCP functions independently of the IEA Secretariat; views, findings and publications produced by Task 52 and its participants do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the IEA Secretariat or of individual IEA member countries.
Explore the Task in depth
Discover how the Subtasks structure our work, or get in touch to take part in Task 52.