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Published on September 22, 2025
Utility Global continues to earn attention as a leader in clean hydrogen innovation. In a recent episode of The Hydrogen Podcast, hosted by Paul Rodden, our President & CEO, Parker Meeks, shared insights into the future of industrial decarbonization and the company’s first commercial steel project with ArcelorMittal Brazil.
The conversation spotlighted not only the unique advantages of Utility’s H2Gen® technology, but also the broader implications for steel, refining, and other hard-to-abate sectors.
A Landmark Collaboration: Utility Global + ArcelorMittal Brazil
The discussion centered on the newly announced collaboration at ArcelorMittal’s Juiz de Fora plant in Brazil. This project marks Utility’s first commercial-scale steel deployment, using blast furnace gas to:
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Produce clean hydrogen directly on-site.
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Concentrate CO₂ for lower-cost carbon capture.
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Enable ArcelorMittal to decarbonize without increasing steel production costs.
“This is a critical first commercial project for us,” Parker said. “It proves our technology works inside a real steel plant, with a major global partner ready to scale.”
Why Steel Matters
Steel accounts for eight percent of global CO2 emissions, and more than 70% of production relies on blast furnaces. Parker explained why hydrogen is key:
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Integration: Unlike many alternatives, Utility Global’s H2Gen technology can integrate directly into existing blast furnace operations.
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Resilience: The system handles fluctuations in blast furnace gas supply — turning down and back up within minutes.
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Efficiency: It offers up to five times greater capital efficiency than traditional “green steel” concepts, while reducing CO₂ capture costs.
“Our approach is fundamentally different. We’re not asking the industry to build new facilities from scratch — we’re showing how they can decarbonize existing assets at scale,” Parker noted.
Global Expansion Opportunities
Brazil is only the beginning. The podcast highlights Utility’s growing pipeline of projects across steel, biogas, and refining markets in:
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Brazil – First commercial steel project with ArcelorMittal.
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Canada – Successful pilot demonstrating hydrogen from blast furnace gas.
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South Korea & California – Biogas-to-hydrogen projects tied to mobility and transport demand.
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Japan & India – Emerging markets with strong industrial hydrogen demand.
“The same reactor powering our ArcelorMittal project is the one we’ll use for mobility projects in California and Korea,” Parker emphasized. “That modularity is what makes our technology scalable.”
Investors and Industrial Partners Take Note
The announcement also signals a shift in how the investment community views hydrogen. Rather than relying solely on subsidies, Utility’s technology delivers economics that work on their own.
“With ArcelorMittal as both an investor and a partner, we’re showing that global industry leaders are willing to test and adopt our technology at scale,” Parker said.
Listen to the Full Podcast
Hear the full conversation with Parker Meeks and Paul Rodden on The Hydrogen Podcast:
Listen to the episode here
For more details on our partnership with ArcelorMittal Brazil, read the full press release.
