Tackling 8% of Global Emissions: Making Iron Sustainable One Atom at a Time with Sandeep Nijhawan
Sandeep Nijhawan, CEO and Co-founder of Electra, explains how his company is reinventing steel production using a low-temperature electrowinning process that converts iron ore into pure metallic iron at 60 degrees Celsius, allowing it to be powered by intermittent renewable electricity. He details the technical challenges of dissolving iron ore and stabilizing its charge states, the economic advantages of using underutilized low-grade ores, and the company's journey from a garage startup to operating pilot plants in Colorado with an $186 million Series B. Nijhawan discusses the strategic need for a demonstration plant to qualify products for steelmakers like Newcor and the long-term vision of regional hubs to decarbonize the $600 billion iron market.