In the urgent global effort to mitigate climate change, the decarbonization of heavy industry remains a towering challenge, particularly in sectors reliant on critical metals such as nickel. Nickel serves as a backbone material in the production of batteries for electric vehicles and stainless steel, both pivotal for a sustainable future. However, conventional nickel extraction is notoriously carbon-intensive, emitting approximately twenty tons of CO₂ for every ton of nickel produced. This alarming carbon footprint threatens to offset the climate gains achieved by electrifying transport and industry sectors. A transformative breakthrough led by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials (MPI-SusMat) promises to fundamentally shift this paradigm by introducing a novel, carbon-free method of nickel extraction powered by hydrogen plasma.
The global demand for nickel is projected to double by 2040, driven by the rapid expansion of clean energy infrastructure and the electrification of transportation networks. Despite this surge, the industry remains shackled to traditional smelting processes reliant on carbon-intensive reduction steps. These conventional techniques not only generate excessive greenhouse gases but also require high-grade ores, which are increasingly scarce. Low-grade nickel ores, comprising about 60% of the world’s nickel reserves, have been largely untapped due to the complex chemistry and energy demands involved in conventional extraction. The research team’s innovative approach will enable the direct utilization of these abundant, previously underutilized resources.
At the heart of this new process is the application of hydrogen plasma within an electric arc furnace to facilitate a single-step reduction of nickel ores. This method sidesteps the multiple, energy-draining phases of calcination, smelting, reduction, and refining traditionally necessary for nickel production. By precisely controlling the thermodynamic environment inside the furnace, the hydrogen plasma breaks down the intricately bound nickel ions in low-grade ores, even when encased within challenging mineral matrices such as magnesium silicates and iron oxides. This streamlined pathway culminates in the direct production of a refined ferronickel alloy, ready for industrial use.
Ubaid Manzoor, PhD researcher at MPI-SusMat and lead author of the publication describing this breakthrough, emphasizes the environmental and energy advantages of the technology. “Replacing carbon-based reductants with hydrogen plasma cuts CO₂ emissions by approximately 84%, a significant leap toward making nickel production climate-neutral. Moreover, the process has an energy efficiency gain of up to 18% compared to current methods when fueled by renewable electricity and green hydrogen,” Manzoor explains. This dual benefit addresses both greenhouse gas emissions and energy use—two critical barriers to sustainable metallurgy.
The underlying science draws on the unique properties of hydrogen plasma, a highly reactive state of hydrogen atoms energized sufficiently to drive endothermic reactions that separate oxygen from metal oxides without traditional carbon reductants. Unlike iron, nickel’s association within complex silicates and oxides makes its reduction chemically challenging. By fostering ionic species formation at the reaction interface—without reliance on catalysts—the technology achieves what was previously unattainable in a single reactor system. Professor Isnaldi Souza Filho, head of the Sustainable Synthesis of Materials group at MPI-SusMat, highlights this point: “Our method’s capacity to disrupt the mineral structure through thermodynamic control within the arc furnace marks a significant scientific advance.”
A crucial element for scalability will be optimizing the reaction interface, where the ionic species reduction occurs. In larger industrial furnaces, the challenge lies in continuously delivering unreduced melt to the high-energy plasma zone. The research outlines potential engineering strategies to achieve this, including leveraging short, high-current arcs, electromagnetic stirring devices placed beneath the furnace, and strategic gas injection techniques. These mechanical solutions are well within the realm of established metallurgical engineering, suggesting a promising pathway for real-world integration.
The implications of this technology extend well beyond nickel production. Ferronickel alloys produced via this method can be seamlessly incorporated into stainless steel manufacturing, a sector where nickel is indispensable. With further refinement steps, the produced nickel can meet the purity standards required for battery electrode materials, directly supporting the electric vehicle revolution. Additionally, the by-product slag from this process shows potential as a valuable construction material, useful in brick and cement production, thereby promoting circular economy principles within the metallurgical sector.
The research team also envisions expanding the principle to other critical metals such as cobalt, which shares similar extraction challenges and plays a vital role in battery chemistry and energy storage. The feasibility of transposing hydrogen plasma reduction to cobalt ores could further enhance the sustainability profile of materials vital to decarbonized energy systems. This broad applicability underscores the transformative nature of the technology and its potential to rewrite the rules of sustainable resource extraction.
This breakthrough comes at a pivotal moment when governments and industries worldwide are aggressively pursuing carbon neutrality goals. The new hydrogen-based reduction process leverages the growing availability of green hydrogen, produced via renewable energy-powered electrolysis, linking two emerging clean technologies. This synergy not only paves the way for more sustainable metallurgical practices but also catalyzes the development of integrated green industrial ecosystems.
Funded by an Advanced Grant from the European Research Council, the project reflects the cutting edge of materials science directed toward combating climate change. As published in Nature on April 30, 2025, the research represents a milestone in sustainable extraction technologies, blending fundamental scientific innovation with practical engineering solutions that anticipate industry adoption.
Looking ahead, the Max Planck Institute team is actively working on industrial-scale demonstrations of the process. These efforts aim to validate operational parameters at large volumes and refine furnace designs to maximize plasma efficiency and melt handling. If successful, this advancement could revolutionize the nickel supply chain by unlocking vast low-grade ore reserves and delivering a significantly lower environmental footprint, aligning metal production with the demands of a sustainable 21st-century economy.
Through this pioneering technology, researchers are not merely advancing metallurgy; they are shaping the future of energy materials, enabling a cleaner, greener industrial landscape. The innovation embodies the critical nexus of climate action, materials science, and industrial technology, offering hope in a world urgently seeking solutions to its most pressing environmental challenges.
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Subject of Research: Sustainable extraction of nickel from low-grade ores using hydrogen plasma-based reduction.
Article Title: Sustainable nickel enabled by hydrogen-based reduction
News Publication Date: 30-Apr-2025
Web References:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08901-7
Image Credits: MPI for Sustainable Materials
Keywords
Nickel extraction, hydrogen plasma, sustainable metallurgy, green hydrogen, low-grade ores, carbon-free reduction, electric arc furnace, ferronickel alloy, climate-neutral industry, energy efficiency, renewable energy, materials science
