Hylron

What Hylron does

HyIron is a Namibian-German renewable energy and industrial technology company that produces zero-carbon iron for the steel manufacturing industry. The company operates two principal sites: the Oshivela industrial facility in Arandis, Namibia (officially opened April 11, 2025, with Phase 1 capacity of 15,000 tonnes of Direct Reduced Iron per year and planned scalability to 1 million tonnes per year) and the GEiSt pilot plant in Lingen, Germany (operational since 2023, maximum capacity of 500 kg of DRI per hour, sited on RWE's Emsland power plant site). The German headquarters is in Aachen and the operating group comprises HyIron GmbH (Germany) and HyIron Green Technologies (Pty) Ltd. (Namibia), under the TS Group (Aachen) and LSF Energy (Paderborn) ownership umbrella, with prior technology development carried out under the CO2GRAB entity.

The company's core technology is a proprietary gas-tight rotary kiln that reduces iron ore using green hydrogen in place of fossil hydrocarbons (coking coal), producing Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) and downstream Hot/Cold Briquetted Iron (HBI/CBI). Green hydrogen is generated on site via water electrolysis powered by solar PV (25 MWp at Oshivela Phase 1, expanding to 140 MW solar plus 18 MW wind in Phase 2) and, in Lingen, via RWE's 14 MW pilot electrolyzer. The process operates at ambient pressure, accepts dry-crushed ore without water-intensive sintering, and recycles water vapor back into electrolysis, with company sources stating each tonne of green iron replaces 1.8 tonnes of CO2 versus the traditional coking-coal route. The company describes its kiln process as unique worldwide.

HyIron generates revenue from selling DRI/HBI/CBI to steel factories and foundries under long-term offtake agreements (with BENTELER Steel/Tube as the anchor customer at Lingen), and indicates technology licensing and co-development as a secondary revenue stream. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales targeting large industrial steel manufacturers, supplemented by government engagement for project funding and regulatory support. The customer base is concentrated in two primary use-case segments — steel producers seeking Scope 3 decarbonization and foundries producing cast iron products — with longer-tail potential in iron-air batteries and 3D printing. To date, capital has come exclusively from non-dilutive German public-sector grants (BMWK >EUR 13M; Lower Saxony EUR 11M), with no disclosed venture or private equity investment.

Name

Hylron

Legal name

HyIron Green Technologies (Pty) Ltd.

Website

https://hyiron.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HyIron is a Namibian-German company that uses a proprietary gas-tight rotary kiln and green hydrogen to produce zero-carbon Direct Reduced Iron for steel manufacturers and foundries, anchored by an industrial plant in Namibia and a pilot in Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Green Iron Production (Direct Reduced Iron for Steelmaking)

NAICS

Power Boiler and Heat Exchanger Manufacturing (332410)

SIC

Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens (3567)

akta.pro primary industry

Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) & Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) Production (IMAKABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) Steelmaking (Incl. DRI/HBI-Based) (IMAKABAB), Ferrous Metals Trading & Distribution (Iron Ore, Pig Iron, DRI/HBI, Ferroalloys) (IMAKAJAA)

Keywords

• Green iron production
• Direct reduced iron
• Hydrogen direct reduction
• Green hydrogen steelmaking
• Decarbonized iron manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Arandis

HQ country

Namibia

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Green Iron / Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) sales: HyIron generates revenue from the sale of Direct Reduced Iron (DRI), Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) and Cold Briquetted Iron (CBI) produced using its proprietary green hydrogen reduction technology. The product is sold to steel factories and foundries as a zero-emission input material for steel production.
2. Technology licensing and co-development: HyIron licenses its proprietary HyIron technology (gas-tight rotary kiln with green hydrogen reduction) to partners and projects. The company develops and scales technology through partnerships with RWE, BENTELER, and government-funded projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

HyIron produces and sells green iron — Direct Reduced Iron (DRI), Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) and Cold Briquetted Iron (CBI) — made by reducing iron ore in a proprietary gas-tight rotary kiln using green hydrogen instead of fossil coking coal, powered by on-site renewable energy and water electrolysis. The company operates a pilot plant in Lingen, Germany (Project GEiSt, up to 500 kg/hour, operational Q1 2023) and an industrial-scale facility in Arandis, Namibia (Project Oshivela, initially 15,000 tonnes DRI/year, opened April 2025, planned expansion to 1 million tonnes/year), and also licenses its HyIron technology to industrial partners.

Product overview

HyIron offers a proprietary hydrogen direct reduction technology for producing green iron, consisting of an airtight rotary kiln process that uses green hydrogen instead of fossil hydrocarbons to reduce iron ore. The company delivers the HyIron Technology, producing Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) which is then processed into Hot/Cold Briquetted Iron (HBI/CBI). The portfolio includes Project GEiSt - a pilot plant in Lingen, Germany (500 kg/hour capacity) - and Project Oshivela - the first industrial-scale green iron production facility in Namibia (15,000 tonnes/year initially, expandable to 1 million tonnes/year). Every tonne of green iron replaces 1.8 tonnes of CO2 compared to traditional production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HyIron Technology (proprietary hydrogen direct reduction process)
• Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) / Sponge Iron
• Hot and Cold Briquetted Iron (HBI / CBI)

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.8 tonnes CO2 avoided per tonne of green iron produced vs. traditional coking coal process
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• RWEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 August 2023RWE is a key partner in the GEiSt project at Lingen, Germany. HyIron commissioned the world's largest hydrogen direct reduction plant on RWE's Emsland gas-fired power plant site. RWE provides green hydrogen through its 14-megawatt pilot electrolysis plant located next to the direct reduction plant. The partnership leverages RWE's existing energy infrastructure and hydrogen production capabilities.
• BENTELER Steel/TubecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 August 2023BENTELER Steel/Tube is a partner in the GEiSt project, testing the use of Direct Reduced Iron (sponge iron) in steel production from 2024. The company melts DRI with steel scrap to produce steel, which is then used to make low-CO2 steel tubes for automotive, energy, and industrial markets. BENTELER is an offtake customer for green iron produced at Lingen.
• CO2GRABcoreTechnology or Integration · 18 November 2021CO2GRAB is the technology development entity behind the HyIron process. HyIron is a firm group of TS Group (Aachen) and LSF Energy (Paderborn). Together they launched CO2GRAB with the aim of developing and marketing efficient technologies to avoid CO2 emissions. CO2GRAB developed the proprietary gas-tight rotary kiln technology used in the HyIron process.
• TS Elino GmbHcoreTechnology or Integration · 18 November 2021TS Elino GmbH (part of the TS Group from the Aachen area) co-developed the proprietary gas-tight rotary kiln technology used in the HyIron process. TS Group is described as a pioneer in technical solutions in the field of fuel cells, batteries, and industrial furnaces.
• LSF EnergycoreTechnology or Integration · 18 November 2021LSF Energy from Paderborn, together with the TS Group, launched CO2GRAB and developed the HyIron technology. LSF Energy contributes many years of experience in the generation of renewable energies. LSF Energy is part of the HyIron group of companies.
• Namibian governmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Oshivela project is a collaboration between Namibian and German companies. Namibia's government provides a favorable regulatory environment, and the project strengthens Namibia's economy through local iron processing, renewable energy expansion, new jobs, and skills training. The project received visits from Namibian ministerial officials including President-in-office Minister Christine Hoebes.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SSAB: Nordic steelmaker and HYBRIT joint-venture partner (with LKAB and Vattenfall) piloting hydrogen-based sponge iron production. Comparable as a steel-customer counterpart also developing internal hydrogen DRI capability.
• Stegra (formerly H2 Green Steel): Swedish green steel company building an integrated hydrogen DRI + EAF plant in Boden for green steel offtake. Direct competitor pursuing the same hydrogen-DRI decarbonization model as HyIron, targeting the same steelmaker customer base.
• Midrex Technologies: Global DRI technology leader with hydrogen-ready shaft furnace systems and H2-based MIDREX H2 installations. Closest direct technology peer; competes for the same green-DRI licensing and offtake engagements with steelmakers.

Others

• Tenova: Italian-headquartered supplier of furnaces, DRI plants (ENFRG/TENOVA's HYTEMP/ENVIRO), and industrial services for metals and mining. Adjacent equipment provider / ecosystem participant with overlapping customer relationships in steel decarbonization.

Regional players

• LKAB: Swedish state-owned iron-ore miner and HYBRIT joint-venture partner producing fossil-free sponge iron in northern Sweden. Regional peer operating an integrated green-iron pilot in a different geography (Nordic vs. Namibia).

Broad incumbents

• ArcelorMittal: World's largest steelmaker with multiple hydrogen-DRI pilot and demonstration projects across Europe. Broad incumbent exploring green iron internally; serves as both a potential anchor customer and a competitor to specialty suppliers like HyIron.
• Primetals Technologies: Established EPC / equipment vendor for integrated steel plants including MIDREX-based DRI and hydrogen-ready solutions. Larger incumbent offering overlapping green-DRI process equipment to the same steelmaker customers.
• Voestalpine: Austrian integrated steelmaker running the H2FUTURE green hydrogen pilot project at Linz. Large incumbent steel customer pursuing hydrogen DRI adoption internally — comparable as a potential customer/competitor hybrid.

Emerging players

• Electra: Developer of electrochemical iron production from ore at ambient temperature, targeting low-cost green iron for steel. Emerging-player peer with an alternative technology route competing for the same decarbonization value pool.
• Boston Metal: MIT-spinout commercializing molten oxide electrolysis (MOE) for direct iron production from ore without hydrogen. Emerging-player peer pursuing an alternative green-iron route targeting the same low-CO2 steel market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hyiron

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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