Helix Carbon Proposes Blast Furnace Retrofits to Cut Coke Use and Ironmaking Costs
The startup plans to use specialized electrolyzers that convert raw exhaust into carbon monoxide, bypassing costly carbon capture preprocessing.
Climate tech startup Helix Carbon is pitching a method to cut carbon emissions in ironmaking by retrofitting blast furnaces rather than trying to replace them, according to a report by TechCrunch (https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/13/helix-carbon-makes-iron-cheaper-by-upcycling-blast-furnace-pollution-see-how-at-techcrunch-disrupt/). The company claims its approach can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while widening operating margins for iron producers.
Blast furnaces produce iron by burning coke, a processed form of coal, to generate heat and carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide then acts as a reducing agent, stripping oxygen atoms from raw iron ore to yield metallic iron. The process releases substantial volumes of carbon dioxide straight into the atmosphere, making iron and steel manufacturing one of the most emissions-heavy sectors globally.
Helix Carbon aims to capture that waste stream using an electrolyzer—a device that applies electricity and a catalyst to strip an oxygen atom from carbon dioxide, converting it back into carbon monoxide. While standard electrolyzers typically require purified, concentrated carbon dioxide, Helix Carbon co-founder and CEO David Brown told TechCrunch that the startup's hardware is designed to handle unrefined exhaust directly from the blast furnace stack.
Recycling carbon monoxide back into the furnace reduces the amount of coke needed for the chemical reduction. Published scientific research varies on the theoretical limit, with estimates ranging from 30% to 90% coke reduction. Helix Carbon proposes that ironmakers start by replacing 33% of their coke, which the startup estimates would save producers $14 per ton of iron.
Although $14 per ton may seem small, profit margins across the sector are notoriously thin, Brown noted. Grand View Research values the combined global iron and steel market at $2 trillion.
Because blast furnaces operate on long lifespans—sometimes exceeding 100 years—the heavy industrial market adopts new infrastructure slowly. To generate revenue sooner, Helix Carbon is first pursuing the specialty chemicals market, using raw waste streams to synthesize chemicals on-site without prior carbon capture, Brown said.
Helix Carbon presented its technology on Tuesday during the Startup Battlefield pitch competition at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco.
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