Cullbeck develops low-carbon ironmaking technology that converts titanomagnetite (TTM) ironsand or crushed rock ore into Direct Reduced Iron in approximately 150 seconds, compared to 8-10 hours conventionally. The process uses 100% hydrogen and is fully modular, enabling low-cost initial installations and scale-up through replication. The company is building a demonstration plant at Glenbrook, New Zealand, targeting the steel industry's roughly 8% share of global CO2 emissions.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Global steel production accounts for roughly 8% of CO2 emissions worldwide, yet decarbonizing it requires more than incremental improvement. Standard natural gas DRI technologies require high-grade magnetite and expensive pelletisation, while titanomagnetite (TTM) resources like New Zealand's ironsand are unusable in existing systems, leaving multi-billion tonne TTM deposits across APAC and beyond unprocessable through current low-carbon routes.
Solution
Cullbeck is developing breakthrough low-carbon ironmaking technology that converts TTM ironsand or crushed rock ore into Direct Reduced Iron in approximately 150 seconds, versus 8-10 hours conventionally, solving the processing problem for TTM resources that current DRI routes cannot handle. The reactor operates on 100% hydrogen, and the process is entirely modular, allowing for low-cost initial installations and scale-up through replication. The company is currently building a demonstration plant at Glenbrook, New Zealand, with a design focused on industrial scale from day one, ensuring every decision at the demonstration stage informs the commercial plant. The process also produces high-purity iron and critical minerals including vanadium and titanium, adding value beyond steelmaking.
Target Audience
Primary customers include steel producers and heavy industry operators in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond who need to decarbonize ironmaking while utilizing abundant, low-cost TTM ore resources.
Features
- Proprietary reactor technology reduces ironmaking processing time from 8-10 hours to approximately 150 seconds using 100% hydrogen
- Capability to process titanomagnetite (TTM) ironsand and crushed rock ore, which are incompatible with existing DRI routes
- Fully modular process design enables low-cost initial installations and scale-up through replication rather than large capital builds
- Co-production of high-purity iron alongside critical minerals including vanadium and titanium
- Demonstration plant under development at Glenbrook, New Zealand, designed with commercial-scale industrialization in mind from the outset