#267 Decarbonizing Steel and Disrupting a Commodity Product | Sandeep Nijhawan (Electra)
Climate CowboysShow Notes
JOIN US FOR THE HACK SUMMIT! The HackSummit returns to Newlab on December 10-11, bringing together 500 founders, funders, and industry leaders in Climate Deep Tech. Together we’ll explore abundance, alongside Founders and Investors at Andreessen Horowitz, Brimstone, Crux, DCVC, Durin, Earth AI, Endolith, Navier, Radical AI, Rainmaker, Voyager Ventures and SOSV. Sign up for 10% off here. Hey everyone, welcome back to the podcast where we talk to founders, investors, and leaders building the future of climate tech. I’m Silas Mahner, the host of Cleantechies and today we’re diving into one of the biggest climate opportunities, clean steel. If steel were a country, it’d be the third largest emitter in the world, right behind China and the U.S. And 90% of those emissions come from one step — ironmaking. That’s exactly where Electra comes in. Co-founded by Sandeep Nijhawan, Electra is rethinking how we make iron from the ground up, literally. Instead of melting ore in a 1600°C blast furnace, they’re doing it at 60°C using a unique process. Think about that for a second: they’re turning iron ore into pure metallic iron without the heat, smoke, or fossil fuels that have defined the industry for centuries. That shift paves the way to a few massive advantages such as slashing energy use and cost and it works with intermittent renewables like solar and wind. It can also process low-grade ores that miners usually throw away, turning waste into value. Sandeep also talks about the economics of clean iron, how Electra’s modular design lets them scale like solar, and how they’re partnering with major players in steel and mining to prove that clean iron can be cost-competitive today. We also get into: How the automotive and data center industries are driving demand for low-carbon steel. What it takes to innovate in a commodity market where “cost parity” is king. Why Sandeep focused early on building a “minimum viable ecosystem” And what it means to be intentional about your team, investors, and mission when you’re building something this big. This episode is a masterclass in scaling deep tech and rebuilding the raw materials that make our world. So, if you’ve ever wondered how we’ll clean up one of the dirtiest industries on Earth, this conversation is going to open your eyes.
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