Kanthal and Danieli are jointly supplying a pilot unit for installation at Emsteel’s direct reduced iron (DRI) production facility in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The goal is to electrify parts of the existing gas-based heating system.
Delivery of the electric heating unit is scheduled for early 2026. The new solution, based on Prothal® DH technology, marks the world’s first commercial system for electric process gas heating in the DRI sector.
Emsteel Accelerates Low-Carbon Steel Production
Emsteel already operates a low-emission DRI plant producing high-quality long products such as sections, bars, and wire rods. With the new 1 MW electric gas preheater – developed by Kanthal and Danieli – the company aims to further reduce its CO₂ footprint while enhancing energy efficiency.
Simon Lile, President of Kanthal’s Heating Systems business unit, explains:
“Prothal® DH has been developed and tested by Kanthal in collaboration with Danieli, and we are now preparing it for commercial rollout. This technology has the potential to completely eliminate CO₂ emissions from the heating process while increasing energy efficiency.” He adds: “We are very pleased to be working with Emsteel to supply the first electric process gas heater on a pilot basis. Electric gas preheating will become a very important application over the next few years, and we are getting ready to meet that demand.”
Partnership for a Zero-Emission Future
Since forming a strategic partnership in 2024, Kanthal and Danieli have been working together to scale up the Prothal® DH technology for industrial use in the DRI sector. The heater can run on hydrogen, natural gas, or a mixture of both, making it suitable not only for new installations but also for retrofitting existing production lines. In hydrogen-ready Energiron plants, it enables completely emission-free heating. Even in conventional natural gas-based DRI plants, it can reduce CO₂ emissions by more than 30%.
A Milestone for Sustainable Steel Production
The planned commissioning of the electric gas heater at Emsteel goes beyond a technical upgrade—it symbolizes the growing trend of electrification in the steel industry. By replacing fossil-fueled heating in the DRI process and enabling retrofit applications, this technology becomes a powerful lever in the sector’s decarbonization journey and sets a new benchmark for sustainable manufacturing.
