The Green Steel Challenge

Hosted by The Willy Korf Foundation

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Jun 2026

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About the show

The Green Steel Challenge podcast aims to invite a conversation, ignite innovation and accelerate change within and around the steel industry, contributing significantly to the decarbonisation of this crucial material. Drawing inspiration from Willy Korf, the German entrepreneur known as a steel rebel and pioneer of the mini-mill and DRI, this podcast challenges the steel industry. Produced by The Willy Korf Foundation and Kallanish Commodities, both neutral entities deeply connected to the steel industry yet without direct commercial interests, we aim to be a platform for transformative ideas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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51 recent

June 2, 202622 min

Season 3/Episode 17: The GSC Team

As season 3 of the Green Steel Challenge draws to an end, join Astrid, James and Mike as they reflect on the highlights.Since January, a lot of ground has been covered through an eclectic mix of industry perspectives, from Tata Steel’s view on electrification and wider system change, to geologic hydrogen with Koloma, advanced nuclear power with newcleo, and the growing strategic value of scrap in the steel transition.With insights from leaders at U. S. Steel, Vale, UK Steel and others, the second half of the season has examined the practical business strategies, policy choices, and technology pathways shaping the future of steel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 19, 202651 min

Season 3/Episode 16: Marcel Genet, Laplace Conseil

Marcel Genet, Independent Steel & Metals Consultant and Founder & Managing Director, Laplace Conseil in Neuilly, France. Marcel has been a consultant in the steel industry for 47 years, first with McKinsey & Company, where he built and led the Firm’s Global Steel Practice. 1995, he founded Laplace Conseil, a boutique strategy firm, where he has predominantly worked with the scrap recycling and EAF minimill sectors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 5, 202651 min

Season 3/Episode 15: Gareth Stace, UK Steel

Gareth Stace, Director General of UK Steel, the voice of the UK steel industry.Gareth represents producers at a critical moment, where competitiveness, energy costs, and decarbonisation are collidingFrom policy and trade to the realities of transitioning legacy assets, he sits right at the intersection of industry and government, helping shape what the future of British steel will look like. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

April 21, 202643 min

Season 3/Episode 14: Dave Burritt, US Steel

Dave Burritt, President and CEO of US STEEL, one of the most iconic names in global steel.Under Dave’s leadership, U.S. Steel has gone through a fundamental transformation: reshaping its asset base, investing heavily in electric arc furnaces, and positioning itself for a lower-carbon future, while still operating some of the most demanding blast furnace assets in the world. And of course, he led the groundbreaking partnership between U. S. Steel and Japan’s Nippon Steel.Dave is known for being pragmatic rather than ideological when it comes to decarbonization. He talks about what can scale, what can be financed, and what can actually be delivered in today’s steel markets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

April 7, 202640 min

Season 3/Episode 13: Peter Kinzel, SMS Group

Peter Kinzel has a degree in chemical engineering and PhD in process engineering.Peter started his career at Paul Wurth (today SMS Group) in 1999, has been living for 11 years abroad in South America, Chile and Brazil enabling him to gain experience in several ferrous and non ferrous processes.Since 4 years Peter is working on reducing the CO2 footprint for the traditional BF/BOF route by introducing the BLUE blast furnace and EASyMelt concept. Fluent in 5 languages and having a strong process background. Participation in over 30 patent families as well as co author in many scientific publications. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

March 24, 202644 min

Season 3/Episode 12: Stefano Buono, Newcleo

Our guest is Stefano Buono, physicist, entrepreneur, and CEO of Newcleo, a company developing next-generation reactors that run on recycled nuclear waste.We’ll dive into how advanced nuclear could provide clean, reliable power and heat for green steel – from hydrogen production to electrified plants – and what it would take to bring this from concept to reality over the next two decades. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

March 10, 202646 min

Season 3/Episode 11: Rogério Nogueira, Vale

We welcome from Brazil, Rogério Nogueira, Executive Vice President of Vale.Vale is one of the world’s largest producers of high-grade iron ore and nickel, headquartered in Brazil, with major operations across South America, Asia, and the Middle East. The company supplies a significant share of the global steel industry and plays a central role in the decarbonisation of iron and steel value chains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

February 24, 202638 min

Season 3/Episode 10: John E. Lichtenstein, World Steel Dynamics

Partner at World Steel Dynamics. World Steel Dynamics is a leading strategic information service that tracks, models, and forecasts steel industry trends — from pricing and trade to decarbonization and technology disruption. John joined us two years ago in Season 1 of the Green Steel Challenge, offering one of the most thoughtful takes on the structural changes shaping the steel industry.This time John would like to focus on scrap. Scrap is no longer a by-product — it’s the backbone of green steel. In this conversation, we’ll dive into where the scrap market is headed, who will win or lose in the global reshuffling, and what role policy, quality, and innovation will play in unlocking its full potential. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

February 19, 202648 min

Season 3/Episode 9: Pete Johnson, Koloma,Inc.

Pete Johnson, CEO and co-founder of Koloma, based in Denver, Colorado. Koloma is focused on exploring and developing geologic (or “natural”) hydrogen as a new low-carbon energy source.If Koloma succeeds, it could transform the economics and availability of hydrogen – this could be a game-changer for decarbonising heavy industry. We’ll discover what geologic hydrogen is, how it’s found, and what it could mean for the future of green steel. Pete is offering us a fascinating glimpse into the future of clean hydrogen and its potential to transform the way we think about energy and industrial decarbonisation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

January 27, 202647 min

Season 3/ Episode 8: TV Narendran, Tata Steel

T. V. Narendran, CEO and Managing Director of Tata Steel, based in Mumbai in India. Tata is one of the world’s most respected steel companies.We’ll discuss how Tata Steel is reimagining steelmaking through innovation, electrification, and new technologies.His perspective reminds us that the road to green steel is not just about new technology—it’s about rethinking systems, partnerships, and the economics of sustainability. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.