30 January 2025
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New doctoral student aims to transform the steel industry
Marco Frara, new doctoral student in Engineering Materials at Luleå University of Technology (LTU), has a clear goal: to make the steel industry fossil-free. By evaluating technologies like hydrogen-based iron production, scrap recycling, and supply chain innovations, he aims to reduce the sector’s climate impact while advancing sustainability tools. “Steel is a climate villain – but systemic change can drive real progress,” he says.
The steel industry accounts for 7% of global CO₂ emissions – a figure demanding radical transformation. Marco Frara, who recently began his doctoral studies at LTU, is developing methods to assess how new production approaches can be scaled sustainably. His work emphasizes not just technologies, but entire supply chains, from raw material extraction to end-of-life recycling.
“Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a method that maps a product’s environmental footprint from cradle to grave, is central to my research. I’m adapting LCA as a tool to evaluate lab-scale innovations for future industrial use,” Frara explains. This approach is paired with life cycle thinking (LCT), a holistic framework that considers every step of production rather than focusing solely on optimization.
Key Innovations for Green Steel
One promising solution is H-DRI (Hydrogen Direct Reduced Iron), where hydrogen replaces coal in iron ore processing. “H-DRI could cut emissions by half, but challenges like hydrogen infrastructure and upstream raw material impacts must be addressed,” Frara notes. Scrap recycling is another priority, though global shortages of high-quality scrap limit its scalability.
While some advocate carbon capture and storage (CCS) to reduce emissions from traditional steelmaking, Frara remains cautious. “CCS is a short-term patch, not a long-term fix. We need solutions that eliminate emissions at the source,” he argues.

Marco Frara, new doctoral student in Engineering Materials at Luleå University of Technology.
Challenges and Systemic Shifts
Energy demand remains a critical hurdle. “Transitioning to fossil-free steel requires massive green electricity, but we must also assess broader impacts like human health and resource scarcity,” Frara emphasizes.
His research integrates circular economy principles, advocating for resource efficiency and closed-loop systems alongside technological advances. “New methods alone aren’t enough. We need circular strategies to reduce waste and dependency on virgin materials,” he adds.
Frara plans to publish his findings in a series of reports, including a 2025 conference study on sustainable steel. “Steel is society’s backbone. Now, it must become the backbone of a climate-neutral future,” he concludes
Contact
Marco Frara
- Doctoral Student
- 0920-493846
- marco.frara@ltu.se
- Marco Frara
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