The agreement reached by Newcleo and Danieli lays the foundation for the decarbonization of steel production through the combined generation of electricity and heat using nuclear energy. The integration of Newcleo's lead-cooled fast reactors (LFR) with Danieli steel production technology will be another step towards combining environmentally friendly steel production with nuclear energy production.
![""]("https://metallurgprom.org/uploads/posts/2025-03/19ddec35d9_press_7437.webp")
LFR's ability to provide a combination of electric power and high-temperature thermal energy will be one of the main areas of development for Danieli processes for green steel production, such as Danieli Digimelter for competitive metal smelting, as well as the production of green hydrogen to power Energiron's direct reduction plants for ore pellet processing and the use of Danieli hydrogen burners, among others.
Recently, the Italian Government has taken concrete steps to bring nuclear energy back into its energy mix. In this context, these agreements will create future opportunities for Italian and European industry to access clean energy at competitive and stable prices in the long term, enabling the continent to meet its zero-emission commitments while maintaining its competitive advantage in a global scenario.
Revolutionary changes are coming for the European steel and manufacturing industries today, as evidenced by the European Commission's Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the Steel Sector and the Clean Industry Agreement adopted in February. As part of this agreement, the European Commission has taken decisive action to help energy-intensive industries reduce their energy costs, as well as create markets for low-carbon products and allocate more than 100 billion euros to support clean production in the EU.
