A lower temperature method for reforming magnesite to magnesium oxide was experimentally investigated by heating magnesite powder with and without adding magnesium nitrate hexahydrate. The results demonstrated that the reforming rate of magnesite was greater with magnesium nitrate hexahydrate than without, and in the presence of magnesium nitrate hexahydrate, magnesite was successfully reformed to magnesium oxide at a lower temperature of ∼ 170 K. In this case, the degradation of magnesium nitrate hexahydrate generates nitrogen oxides, which accelerate the reforming reaction of magnesite to magnesium oxide. This work suggests that it is possible to reform magnesite into a desulfurization agent at lower temperature.