Daily press, 2026-08-31, 10:30 am
thyssenkrupp Steel Launches Partial Refurbishment of the Schwelgern 2 Blast Furnace
- Europe’s largest blast furnace will be taken offline on August 30 for approximately six weeks
- During the work, occasional noise may also be audible at night
Duisburg, August 31, 2026 – thyssenkrupp Steel’s Blast Furnace 2 will be taken offline as planned for a partial refurbishment lasting approximately six weeks. This measure will enhance the operational stability of pig iron production, safeguarding a core element of steel production at the Duisburg site.
During the refurbishment period, there may occasionally be audible noise between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. The work will be planned to keep disruption to local residents to a minimum. However, individual instances of noise cannot be ruled out entirely.
The partial refurbishment focuses on work on central cooling systems and the refractory lining in the lower section of the blast furnace. Cooling components will be replaced, parts of the refractory material renewed, and additional copper cooling elements installed. These so-called mini-staves improve cooling in this particularly demanding area of the furnace and help protect the furnace lining. At the same time, additional maintenance work will be carried out on auxiliary facilities, including the gas cleaning and slag granulation systems. The work is intended to improve the blast furnace’s technical availability and ensure reliable operation for years to come.
“Schwelgern 2” was commissioned on October 28, 1993. With a daily output of approximately 12,000 metric tons of hot metal and a hearth diameter of 14.9 meters, it is the largest blast furnace in Europe.
