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Subscribe to the free weekly newsletter at steeltimesint.com solutions for iron making that we are aware of that are going to be running around the world, mostly in Sweden, but around the world, are going to increase the cost of production. This is a major issue because we all know the numbers. We all know that politicians are targeting 2050 to become carbon neutral. We all know that in order to make this happen way before 2050, the only viable way to do it is by providing an alternative that not only reduces emissions, but also gives a better competitive edge for those who will use it commercially, regardless of carbon emissions. So, when we approached this project and we did the economic analysis, we disregarded carbon emissions. We said, what if we were living in a world where no one cared about CO2 We wanted to make sure that even in that world, our technology will win. And, if that is your case, then I think you have a viable path to actually change the industry.’’

And what about the goal of 2050? Is that problematic in itself?

‘‘When someone says 2050’’, Geifman continues, ‘‘I hear it’s not my problem. It’s my kid’s problem’’.

We move onto the Helios process. According to Geifman, it’s a ‘direct reduction process, but opposed to using hydrogen, we are using a reducing agent that is fully reclaimed in a closed loop system. The only two things that we need to feed the system with is iron ore and energy, and the output is iron and oxygen. The reducing agent that we use is taking the oxygen from the ore, and then we have a process where we know how to break the oxygen from that producing agent. And we keep it in a closed loop; we emit the oxygen out of the system. The temperatures at which we do this reaction are much lower; the reaction happens below 400 degrees Celsius.’ Additionally, the Helios process does not require steelmakers to alter their energy infrastructure, as the technology can be integrated into their existing infrastructure, which reduces cost and facilitates faster adoption, says the company, emitting only oxygen as a by-product (if a renewable energy source is used) making the whole process 100% carbon emissions-free.

There’s no denying the potential of the project. But the complexity of its delivery lies beyond sheer feats of engineering. One of the murkier areas of inter-planetary technology is the legislation, which is struggling to contend with the legally unfamiliar territory of mining and extracting the moon for resources. According to Geifman, it is currently ‘the wild west’ in terms of regulations. Humans have been mining the earth for thousands of years. Even with hundreds, if not thousands, of laws and limitations in place, it continues to be a hugely complex socio-political process – that has affected indigenous habitats, cultural sites, biodiversity, and led to human rights abuses, and conflict over resources. The moon, as an untapped source of materials, has all the potential to help us reach crucial decarbonization targets, but may also mirror the same issues we face on Earth – which can be reduced to who can lay claim to what, with what rights, and at what cost. ‘‘No-one has done this before,’’ Geifman says, in terms of extracting resources from the moon, ‘‘hopefully it will settle very quickly. There are some question marks, and uncertainty, but we’re all moving in the same direction’’.

And what about criticism?

‘‘I can understand it…., why should we spend so much money on establishing infrastructure on the moon and exploiting resources? I mean, did we not do enough here on earth? Why should we do this on other planetary bodies? But first of all, we don’t really spend that much on space exploration. The technologies that humanity is benefiting from the space industry and from projects like going to the moon are insane. We would never ever think of how to do this process if we didn’t have that extreme frame of reference to try and do this on the moon. I’m pretty bullish on the idea that a lot of the technologies that will be required in order to solve our climate issues and sustainability issues will come from solutions that will be provided to establish infrastructure beyond earth because of that different frame of reference, that extreme environment, that requires it. And to have them on the moon, the moon is a desert. The only biospheres we should care about are biospheres where you have life; that’s my personal opinion. People are saying that we’re ruining nature. We are nature. We’re a part of nature thinking that we are apart from nature. I think that’s the flaw. If we want to keep life and to make it sustainable, let’s do the dirty work where there is no life – and the moon is the perfect place for this.’’

Geifman has a Star Wars book propped on the bookshelf behind him, as well as a foot tall toy space rocket. I ask him how, if the average human experience has little to no contact or interest in life outside of Earth, Helios can be understood – and even accepted as a company with a necessary incentive.

‘‘Think about it like this: babies who are born today will be just toddlers when humans will set foot on the moon again. And we’ll start establishing permanent infrastructure on the moon. They will grow up as teenagers when there are already bases on the moon. We have short lives, but for the next generation, most of what we’re talking about now will be trivial. And they will probably see it differently.’’

The biggest question, for Geifman, isn’t what limits us, but what we are able to do ‘for future generations; for our grandchildren’. Shoot for the moon, aim for the moon. �