A low heat, electrochemical cascade process generates iron metal (Fe.sub.2) from iron ore and a sequence of alkaline electrolytic solutions. An intermediate phase favors iron oxide in a layered double hydroxide (LDH) form resulting from conditioning silicates in the alkaline solution over chemically inert Fe.sub.3O.sub.4 formation. The alkaline electrolytic solution mitigates production of hydrogen gas over acidic approaches by inhibiting a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) that forms parasitic hydrogen gas. An electrolyte containment generates an electrolyte flow for the cascading electrochemical reaction as the raw iron oxide transforms to iron metal while avoiding conventional shortcomings of low value products of Fe.sub.3O.sub.4 (magnetite) and hydrogen gas, and instead favors generation of iron metal. Additional electrolyte salts can further form iron alloys.