A few months back we pointed out at Boston Metals, a US-based start-up, for its novel molten oxide electrolysis production method for low-carbon reduced iron. This time around we are noticing a few more trends. GreenIron, which is a company from Sweden, has obtained permits for the construction and operation of an iron plant that will use waste as a feedstock, and energy firms Helios and Alkalium are bringing the utilization of sodium metal instead of coal or hydrogen to refine iron ore into direct reduced iron (DRI) to the table. The main hurdle to overcome by any novel manufacturing process is cost. A new method implies high initial costs. Economies of scale are something that such novel manufacturing methods…