Finland-based ROTOBOOST and Baowu Clean Energy launched a China–Finland collaboration under the Business Finland (BF) – Ministry of Science and Technology of China (MOST) Joint Innovation Call. The program will deploy thermo-catalytic decomposition (TCD) methane pyrolysis to produce low-carbon H₂ and high-quality solid carbon for steelmaking and aluminum—two of the world's most energy- and CO₂-intensive industries.

Steel and aluminum are foundational yet hard to abate. The partnership pairs Baowu's process leadership with ROTOBOOST's TÜV SÜD–certified TCD platform to deliver onsite H₂ and monetize solid carbon—cutting emissions with compelling unit economics.

ROTOBOOST's TCD splits natural gas into H₂-rich gas and solid carbon without direct process CO₂. Modular systems enable on-demand H₂ and production-grade carbon products. In May 2025, ROTOBOOST became the first TCD company to secure TÜV SÜD certification for low-carbon footprints of both H₂ and carbon products.

Project scope

• Onsite low-carbon H₂: stable, cost-effective supply integrated with Baowu utilities to enable DRI/EAF and other H₂-enabled routes.
• High-value carbon utilization: production-spec solid carbon for electrodes and composites across steel and aluminum value chains.
• Commercial deployment and assurance: modular TCD units operated under commercial conditions with monitoring, H₂ volumes, and decision-grade techno-economics to support rapid multi-site rollout.
• Data, MRV and certification: capture real-operation data to build auditable LCA/GHG inventories aligned with international standards and third-party verified.

Under the BF–MOST framework, the collaboration addresses four bottlenecks—reliable low-carbon H₂ supply, cost and unit economics, integration with existing assets, and materials performance—creating a replicable blueprint for large-scale deployments in steel and aluminum.