Coolbrook and Tenova partner to accelerate electrification of metals industry

Engineering firms Coolbrook and Tenova have announced a strategic partnership aimed at reducing carbon emissions in the iron, steel, and wider metals industries through the electrification of high-temperature industrial processes.

The collaboration centres on deploying Coolbrook’s RotoDynamic Heater™ (RDH™) technology, which replaces fossil fuel combustion with clean electricity for industrial heating. According to both companies, the integration of RDH™ with Tenova’s proprietary systems could significantly lower CO₂ emissions while improving process efficiency.

“Our collaboration with Coolbrook marks a key milestone in decarbonising high-temperature industrial processes,” said Antonio Catalano, executive vice president of Tenova’s downstream business unit. “By replacing fossil fuels with renewable electricity, we can dramatically reduce CO₂ emissions but also achieve a significant step in process efficiency—making production cleaner, faster, and more cost-effective.”

The initial phase of the partnership will focus on incorporating RDH™ technology into Tenova’s acid regeneration plants. Further applications across the metals sector are expected to follow.

Coolbrook CEO Joonas Rauramo described the agreement as a “significant step in advancing industrial electrification.” He added, “By integrating our RDH technology with Tenova’s innovative solutions, we can develop joint offerings to decarbonise highly challenging applications that have previously been impossible to electrify.”

Coolbrook’s RDH™ system uses CO₂-free electricity to generate extreme heat—reportedly up to 1700 °C—suitable for industrial processes that traditionally rely on fossil fuels. The company claims the technology has the potential to eliminate over 2.4 billion tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually if adopted at scale.

Source and Photo: Tenova