Electrochemical Iron Demo (Jefferson County) by Electra: status and timeline

Electrochemical Iron Demo (Jefferson County)

Demo plant proving electrochemical iron at scale: 500 t/yr of 99%-pure iron using low-temp electrochemistry and renewable power. Results inform 2029 commercial plant.

PilotStage 3 of 5

Construction in Colorado. First iron mid-2026. Offtakes with Meta, Nucor, Toyota.

Updated May 2025Checked 11 Oct0 updates this week

Milestones

Next · Demonstration facility under construction

Electra founded2020Complete.
Site selected in Jefferson County, Colorado2024Complete.
Demonstration facility under constructionTarget 2025Current milestone.
First iron productionTarget Q2 2026Not yet reached.
Commercial-scale plant constructionTarget 2027Not yet reached.
Commercial plant operationalTarget 2029Not yet reached.

Most important updates

Upcoming

2025Demonstration facility under construction (next)
Q2 2026First iron production
2027Commercial-scale plant construction
2029Commercial plant operational

Current obstacles

Scaling from 500 to 500,000 metric tons per yearElectrochemistry does not scale as easily as thermal processes. Larger tanks, more power distribution, and more handling complexity multiply technical risks.
Cost reduction to compete with blast furnacesLegacy steelmaking is mature and capital-efficient. Electra's process has high electrochemical and labor costs; margins depend on carbon credit value.
Renewable power availability and costLow-temperature processing requires large amounts of electricity. Securing long-term renewable power contracts at competitive rates is critical.

Physics limits

Electrochemical cell current density limitsThe rate at which iron ions can be electrodeposited is limited by cell design, solution conductivity and electrode surface area. Higher speeds risk poor iron quality.
Ore impurity complexityDifferent iron ore sources have different impurity profiles (silica, alumina, phosphorus, sulfur). Purification must be adaptive or the process loses margin.
Electricity costElectrochemistry is power-intensive. At 5–8 cents per kWh, electricity alone will dominate production cost; lower power prices are needed for competitiveness.

How it works

4 parts

Ore dissolution

Iron ore in low-temperature acid

Iron ore (Fe2O3 or Fe3O4) is dissolved in a water-based acidic solution at ~60°C, releasing iron ions and leaving impurities as solid residue.

Purification

Separation of iron from impurities

The solution is filtered and processed to remove silica, alumina and other minerals, leaving a pure iron sulfate solution.

Electrodeposition

Electric current deposits pure iron

An electric current is applied to the iron sulfate solution. Iron ions move to the cathode and are reduced to metallic iron, depositing on large metal sheets.

Product

Pure iron sheets for steelmaking

The deposited iron is melted and cast into ingots or billets suitable for steel mills to remelt and refine into finished steel products.

Spec sheet

Spec	Electrochemical Iron Demo (Jefferson County)
Demonstration facility size	130,000 sq ft^R (reported)
Annual production capacity (demo)	Up to 500 metric tons^R (reported)
Iron purity	99%^R (reported)
Process temperature	~60°C^R (reported)
Traditional blast furnace temperature	1,600°C^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Papers & demos

1 item

2024demo
Electra unveils demonstration facility in Jefferson County, Colorado (opens steeltimesint.com)A 130,000 sq ft facility to prove the electrochemical iron process at meaningful scale and build customer relationships.

Update log

5 updates

May 2025

Major: Electra unveils 130,000 sq ft demonstration facility in Jefferson County, ColoradoPressManufacturing
Major: Nucor and Toyota Tsusho sign offtake agreements for Electra's ironPressCommercial
Major: Meta signs advance purchase agreement for Electra's environmental attribute creditsPressCommercial
Major: Breakthrough Energy Catalyst awards Electra $50 million grant for clean iron demonstration facilityPressFunding

2025

Major: Electra raises $186 million Series B funding round led by Capricorn and TemasekPressFunding

About Electra

The team behind Electrochemical Iron Demo (Jefferson County)

Electra

Electrochemical iron, clean steel, low-temperature ore reduction

Electra produces low-carbon iron via electrochemistry at ~60°C, not 1,600°C like blast furnaces. Dissolves ore in acid, removes impurities, electrodeposits pure iron. Building a 500 t/yr demo plant in Colorado, first iron mid-2026.

$186M Series B led by Capricorn and Temasek. $50M grant from Breakthrough Energy Catalyst.
Meta, Nucor and Toyota Tsusho signed offtake agreements for clean iron.
Colorado demo plant produces 500 t/yr. First iron mid-2026; commercial plant 2029.

electra.earth (opens electra.earth)Company profile →

Founded: 20206 yrs
Headquarters: United States
Status: Private
Valuation: $1.8Best. privateJan 2026estimate
Raised: $244M3 rounds
Last round: Colorado Energy Office tax credit · $8MMay 2025
Works in: MaterialsGreen steel
Coverage: 1 program · 5 updateslatest 1 May 2025checked 10 Oct
Lead investors: Capricorn Investment GroupTemasekBreakthrough Energy Ventures
Customers: Meta (opens meta.com)Nucor (opens nucor.com)Toyota Tsusho (opens toyota-tsusho.com)Interfer Edelstahl Group (opens interfer.de)
People: Sandeep Nijhawan (opens linkedin.com)Co-founder & CEOQuoc Pham (opens linkedin.com)Co-founder & former CTO

Spec

Electrochemical Iron Demo (Jefferson County)

Demonstration facility size

130,000 sq ft^R (reported)

Annual production capacity (demo)

Up to 500 metric tons^R (reported)

Iron purity

99%^R (reported)

Process temperature

~60°C^R (reported)

Traditional blast furnace temperature

1,600°C^R (reported)