Laser diodes are arrayed to illuminate large areas of material, enabling us to produce large throughputs of iron metal.

Laser heating can reach temperatures beyond electric heaters and fossil fuels, which unlocks the thermal decomposition of iron ore into iron metal and oxygen. This allows us to limit the use of chemical reducing agents such as hydrogen gas or fossil-based carbon.

Previous hydrogen-based ironmaking furnaces can only use high-purity iron ore and produce solid iron - since they operate at low temperatures and cannot remove impurities in their reactors. This limits these old reactors to 3% of global iron ore supplies. Limelight's laser furnace can convert low grade ore into molten iron, which can be separated from impurities - unlocking the other 97% of the world's iron ore supply for green ironmaking.