Staying ahead of the technology curve means strengthening your competitive advantage. That is why we give you data-driven innovation insights into the manufacturing industry. This time, you get to discover 5 hand-picked startups developing sustainable iron manufacturing solutions.
Global Startup Heat Map highlights 5 Top Sustainable Iron Manufacturing Solutions out of 238
The insights of this data-driven analysis are derived from the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering 1.379.000+ startups & scaleups globally. The platform gives you an exhaustive overview of emerging technologies & relevant startups within a specific field in just a few clicks.
The Global Startup Heat Map below reveals the distribution of the 238 exemplary startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research. Further, it highlights 5 manufacturing startups that we hand-picked based on criteria such as founding year, location, funding raised, and more. You get to explore the solutions of these 5 startups & scaleups in this report. For insights on the other 233 sustainable iron manufacturing solutions, get in touch.
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Kaunis Iron uses All-Electric Fleet
Natural resources such as fuel and metals are subject to depletion over a period of time. Moreover, mining for iron ore poses threats to air quality, water quality, and biological species among others. To sustainably mine iron ore, organizations employ processes such as automation to reduce the negative impact on the environment. Therefore, startups develop sustainable best practices that focus on the safety of mine workers and mitigate the impact on the environment.
Swedish startup Kaunis Iron focuses on social, ecological, and economic sustainability in mining operations. The startup is addressing the challenge of electrification of their entire vehicle fleet to eliminate CO2 emissions arising from transporting iron ore from mines to processing plants. To this end, Kaunis Iron is collaborating with Vattenfall, Volvo Trucks, and Wist Last & Buss, and Energikontor Norr to conduct a feasibility study. Apart from environmental sustainability, the startup reinvests significant financial resources in the community in the form of sponsorships and the safety and security of its employees
Tacora Resources implements a Tailings Safety Initiative
Acid mine drainage from tailings is a common environmental concern. It causes surface and groundwater pollution in the surrounding areas of the mines. However, tailings water is reusable after water treatment removes heavy metals, reducing the amount of tailings disposal. To this end, startups develop tailing disposal standards that align with various global environmental standards to reduce negative impacts.
The US-based startup Tacora Resources implements a tailings safety initiative as a part of its sustainability efforts in mining iron ore. The initiative improves the disclosure standards around tailings management associated with iron ore extraction. Additionally, the startup provides safety training that includes topics such as first aid, hazardous materials management, lockouts, confined spaces, fall protection, and other programs that provide the necessary tools to maintain a safe and healthy tailings disposal.
Origen Hydrogen develops a Sustainable Electrolyzer Technology
Smelting iron ore to derive steel involves processes that have significantly high carbon emissions. However, hydrogen provides a sustainable path in metallurgy as the by-products of this process are simply water vapor instead of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide produced by current blast-furnace methods in use. Startups develop innovative hydrogen-based electrolyzers for smelting iron ore and reduce carbon emissions in the process.
The US-based startup Origen Hydrogen develops the proprietary Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolyzer technology. It uses a solid-state device that eliminates the use of liquid electrolytes and expensive metallurgy. It has multiple industrial applications including sustainable steel manufacturing and fertilizer manufacturing. Further, the technology enables the production of zero-carbon hydrogen feedstock that is essential in steel manufacturing.
SIMEC Mining uses Sustainable Power
The infrastructure costs of connecting the mine to the grid network or building a conventional power station are significant. However, renewable energy resources reduce the cost considerably and lessen the overall environmental impact of energy used in the process. To drive sustainability and profits, startups develop mining solutions that integrate renewable sources of energy into mining operations.
Australian startup SIMEC Mining emphasizes the use of sustainable power in its mining operations. The startup’s mining output is 10 million tonnes of iron ore per annum including hematite and magnetite iron ore. It sources renewable energy from hydropower and tidal projects. Sustainable energy consumption provides significant reductions in operations costs and drives profitability.
British Steel employs Sustainable Manufacturing Standards
By improving the efficiency of manufacturing equipment and processes, metal manufacturers lower energy consumption. Moreover, it also decreases manufacturing time and reduces material use and waste. This directly results in significant cost reductions and lowers the environmental impact of iron ore processing. To this end, startups develop metal manufacturing processes that employ high sustainability standards.
British startup British Steel manufactures semi-finished products including sections, rails, and rolled billets by prioritizing the use of external recycled content in its manufacturing processes. Moreover, the company leverages the methodology from the international standard ISO 14021 to measure and assess the recycled content of steel products. Further, it is certified by the Environmental and Sustainability Standard BES 6001 related to Responsible Sourcing of Products. This ensures that the startup’s suppliers also form part of a sustainable supply chain.
Discover more Manufacturing Startups
Manufacturing startups such as the examples highlighted in this report focus on the sustainable production of chemicals, aluminum, and glass. While all of these technologies play a major role in advancing manufacturing, they only represent the tip of the iceberg. To explore more manufacturing technologies, simply get in touch to let us look into your areas of interest. For a more general overview, you can download our free Manufacturing Innovation Report to save your time and improve strategic decision-making.
