PIONEERING GREEN STEEL SOLUTIONS ON EARTH AND BEYOND

From Moonshot to Earth, Israeli start-up Helios aims to extract iron from low grade iron ore and residuals using only thermal energy while emitting only oxygen

“Helios began as a space technology company with the bold mission to extract oxygen from the moon, with the challenge to enable the separation of oxygen from lunar minerals in extreme environments, where zero emissions are not an option but a necessity. Our efforts resulted in a breakthrough zero-emission process for steel production, applicable also on Earth – known as the Helios Cycle™. -- Jonathan Geifman CEO & Founder, Helios

Interview with Jonathan Geifman

By Suzanne Forcese

WT: Congratulations on being recognized as a Top Innovator in the Uplink Sustainable Mining Challenge!

Please introduce yourself to our viewers describing the journey that brought your start-up from shooting for the moon to developing a novel zero-emission process for producing green steel on Earth.

Geifman: My background has nothing to do with what I am doing today. I have no background in science. I had a career in the armed forces. I am basically a space geek with experience in leadership roles who co-founded Helios in 2018 as an ISRU space-tech company to produce oxygen on the extreme environment of the lunar surface.

I understood that the sheer cost of lunar expeditions which hinges on sending necessities such as oxygen to the moon was a prohibitive factor in Space exploration. If we could produce oxygen from the lunar regolith, a huge piece of the puzzle could be solved.

Oxygen is going to be by far the most needed consumable on the Moon, primarily for burning propellant. Therefore, if you can produce that oxygen on-site — rather than sending everything from Earth — you can save billions of dollars.

The most accessible oxygen on site is in the minerals on the ground.

Our efforts resulted in a breakthrough zero-emission process for metal production, applicable also on Earth – known as the Helios Cycle™.

WT: Tell us about the Team.

Geifman: We are a team of researchers, scientists, and materials experts. Nearly one-quarter of the company holds a PhD, and nearly half of the company are women.

We were the first technology innovators ever to become a member of the WorldSteel Association.

WT: That certainly is a significant milestone in your journey! Our viewers would be interested in how that recognition came about. You stumbled on the Helios zero-emission process. How did that happen?

Geifman: We used a process to refine Moon rock dust using only sodium and electricity. The method produced oxygen and generated large amounts of iron – which is the main element in steel.

The method creates no direct carbon emissions. It requires 30% less energy than traditional steel making and needs only sodium, electricity and low-grade iron ore.

By applying the same reaction to iron ore and mining waste Helios found a new route to one of Earth’s most carbon-intensive materials.

Steel factories emit around 3 billion Tonnes of carbon per year. That’s 3 times as much as the aviation industry and 8% of all humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The Helios Cycle turns waste into feedstock. Its method uses less energy than conventional steel production, cutting carbon emissions in half too.

By using mining tailings and other leftovers, Helios is helping make the mining industry more sustainable.

We have thus created valorization of mining residues. Helios Cycle™ can process residuals, IOTs, and unutilized materials, into premium products. By maximizing the potential of existing mines and slowing the rate of mining territories expansion and associated impacts, while increasing margins.

Helios Cycle™ can reduce iron ore, and residuals (optionally also IOT dams), with no need for pre-treatments, at zero-direct emissions, using sodium as a reducing agent in a closed circular system, and thermal energy, with no dependencies on consumables.

WT: There are challenges facing the steel industry. Declining ore grades, carbon-intensive processes, and economic pressures—are driving a critical shift toward sustainable solutions. Technologies like Hydrogen-Based Direct Reduced Iron (H2-DRI); Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS); and Molten Oxide Electrolysis (MOE) offer promising pathways to reduce emissions and enhance efficiency; however, each faces hurdles such as high costs and scalability issues.

What are the advantages of the Helios Cycle over other green steel technologies?

Geifman:  Unlike traditional methods, the Helios Cycle™ can process a broad spectrum of iron ore grades, including low-grade ores (50-62% Fe) and tailings (less than 50% Fe). This flexibility eliminates the need for expensive high-grade ores.

The Helios Cycle™ produces zero direct carbon emissions, compared to the significant CO2 output of blast furnaces and DRI technologies.

Operating at temperatures between 250°C and 550°C, the Helios Cycle™ is more energy-efficient and cost-effective. The expected operating cost is $250-$350 per 1000 kg of iron, significantly lower than traditional methods.

WT: Can your technology be used in existing infrastructure?

Geifman: The modular design of Helios furnaces allows for easy integration into existing production lines and can be deployed at mining locations, reducing transportation costs and associated emissions.

WT: We touched on two very significant milestones in the Helios journey so far – the recognition as a Top Innovator and the first and only tech company that is not a steelmaker to be named as a member of the World Steel Association.

What other milestones has Helios reached?

Geifman: We are proud to be included in the DARPA LunA-10 program. Helios will harness Darpa’s expertise and the collective knowledge of other participating teams. This collaborative effort will yield invaluable insights into the lunar environment and its resources, allowing us to perfect our oxygen production technology for lunar conditions.

Helios has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with BlueScopeX Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of BlueScope Steel, a global steel manufacturer headquartered in Australia.

This MoU aims to demonstrate the use of our Helios Green Iron (HGI™) in parts of BlueScope's steelmaking operations. The initial phase of this collaboration will involve a pilot project where Helios will provide HGI™ produced by its pilot plants using its proprietary technology, starting in 2026.

WT: What’s next?

Geifman: Commercialization with our pilot plant in Australia will be completed in 2028.

We are also aiming to enter the United States steel industry as our modular technology is compatible with existing U.S. infrastructure.

And of course we are still aligned with our original Space project.

The lunar environment is unforgiving, and being sustainable there isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a must. We're tackling carbon-intensive industries in the short term; but in the long term, we aim for an ultimate sustainable future — one where humanity’s impact on the environment is minimized, or even eliminated. It’s a multi-decade journey, but we believe the first steps need to be taken now.