Can green iron be produced entirely off-grid? Insights from HyIron Namibia

As part of the Industrial Decarbonization Analysis, Benchmarking, and Action (INDABA) Partnership's recent study tour, our team visited HyIron, a hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI) project located in the Namib Desert. Under a cloudless sky by day and the southern stars by night, HyIron offered a glimpse of what a different geography of ironmaking could look like—one built around renewable resources, modular design, and distributed production systems.

The facility is remarkable for its simplicity. Rather than relying on existing industrial infrastructure, HyIron operates entirely off-grid using a dedicated solar-powered microgrid. In its first phase, electricity from a 25 MW solar installation powers electrolyzers that produce hydrogen, which is then used to reduce iron ore in a rotary kiln. Water produced from the direct reduction process is returned to feed the electrolyzers. Battery storage helps manage renewable resource variability, while hydrogen storage provides additional operational flexibility. The result is a system that produces DRI without fossil fuels and without a connection to the nation's electricity grid.

What impressed us was the project's emphasis on practicality. The team deliberately selected commercially available technologies, including alkaline electrolyzers and a rotary kiln configuration familiar to the mining and metallurgical sectors. They have focused on operational learning, workforce development, and system integration before expanding in scale. Today the facility employs roughly 40 people, many of whom have learned new technical skills ranging from electrolyzer operation to materials handling and maintenance, with new hires working in tandem with experienced operators. Personnel on site troubleshoot directly with OEMs, reducing cost and complexity.

HyIron's vision for growth is equally noteworthy. Rather than building progressively larger kilns, the company plans to expand through replication. Additional modules would be added as demand grows, preserving the simplicity and operational experience gained from the pilot facility. This modular approach may ultimately prove one of the project's most important innovations.

The visit also prompted a broader question: how much ironmaking could desert regions support? Global ironmaking today produces roughly 1.5 billion tonnes of iron annually. We calculate that if HyIron-style modules were deployed modularly to meet the global demand for iron of 1.5 billion tonnes per year, they would occupy only 3% of Namibia's land area (2.3 million hectares) and a small fraction of the world's major desert regions. Of course, scaling would require much more than land. Water supply, transmission infrastructure, environmental stewardship, workforce development, financing, and market creation would all become critical considerations. HyIron's own environmental impact assessment is examining these questions as expansion plans move forward.

What makes HyIron significant is not its current scale, but what it represents. In one of the world's most remote environments, a small team has integrated solar power, batteries, hydrogen production, storage, and ironmaking into a functioning industrial operation. Many of the technologies involved are already commercially available; the innovation lies in their integration and deployment. As additional modules are added and costs continue to fall, HyIron could become an important demonstration of how green iron production can be replicated in similar settings around the world. 

We are truly grateful to Johannes, Marie, and the entire HyIron team for a technically in-depth, eye-opening, and inspiring visit!

Read the full story on LinkedIn.