bluemint^® Steel – CO₂-reduced steel at the cutting edge.

bluemint^® powercore^® goes offshore

Siemens Energy books CO₂-reduced steel for around 700 wind turbine transformers from subsidiary Siemens Gamesa

The strategic partnership between thyssenkrupp Electrical Steel and Siemens Energy is entering the next phase: after working together on the Ultranet direct current connection, the two companies are now demonstrating how supply chains in the energy industry can be decarbonized as part of an offshore wind turbine project for wind power subsidiary Siemens Gamesa.

Siemens Energy has booked bluemint^® powercore^® for the production of around 700 transformers in wind turbines. The company wants to secure sufficient quantities of steel with a lower CO₂ content today in order to be equipped with suitable materials for future energy transition projects. In this way, Siemens Energy is laying the foundations and making a significant contribution to the ongoing expansion of the renewable energy grid.

In recent years, thyssenkrupp Electrical Steel has established itself as a key technology partner for the security of supply of the European energy industry - especially for CO₂-reduced, grain-oriented electrical steel. This is essential for the production of the highly efficient transformer cores that make it possible to increase the voltage of electrical energy. Only in this way can the energy be fed into the local power grids via high-voltage lines or underground cables with low losses.

The collaboration is a double win for climate protection in Europe: in future, even more renewable electricity will be generated in offshore wind turbines, while the use of bluemint^® powercore^® will also reduce the CO₂ footprint of the transformers in the wind turbines.

CO₂-reduced steel for Mercedes-Benz.

Brand with the star secures supply of bluemint^®.

thyssenkrupp Steel and Mercedes-Benz have agreed to expand their existing cooperation to include CO₂-reduced steel, and signed a memorandum of understanding to this effect in April 2023. It is intended for Mercedes-Benz to receive CO₂-reduced products from thyssenkrupp Steel for integrating into its own fleet of new passenger cars.

Compared to the conventional blast furnace process, CO₂ emissions from steelmaking that are a feature of production can be significantly reduced by this innovative technology while maintaining product quality – which also significantly reduces the carbon footprint of products with a high steel content, for example in the automotive industry. With this plant, thyssenkrupp Steel's efforts to play a leading role in the green steel markets of the future is bearing fruit – and at the same time this expresses the company's goal to support automotive customers such as Mercedes-Benz in achieving their decarbonization targets.

Brewery relies on bluemint^®.

First 5-liter party keg made from CO₂-reduced tinplate

The German tinplate manufacturer thyssenkrupp Rasselstein launched the world’s first 5-liter keg made of CO₂ reduced bluemint^® Steel together with the German companies Kleemann and Westerwald Brauerei in May 2023. In the joint project, thyssenkrupp Rasselstein will supply the CO₂ reduced packaging steel used by Kleemann to produce the kegs that will later be filled with the aromatic hops.

“In the production of the new bluemint^® packaging steels, we are clearly focusing on CO₂ reduction: By using biomethane and specially processed steel scrap, we can save up to 69% of our CO₂ emissions, making packaging steel even more sustainable.” explains Clarissa Odewald, CEO of thyssenkrupp Rasselstein GmbH.

By using bluemint^® Steel in the production of the beer kegs, Kleemann has been able to significantly reduce its Scope 3 emissions. “We are very happy to be involved in the project of the world’s first CO₂ reduced party keg,” says Michael Fürst, Managing Director of metal packaging manufacturer Kleemann.

“Kleemann is a partner with whom we have been working for years. Thanks to sustainable raw material and a reliable partner for Westerwald Brauerei, I see our 5-liter party kegs well-positioned for the future,” says Jens Geimer, Managing Partner of Westerwald Brauerei.

CO₂-reduced steel for car bodies.

Snop – French tier one supplier for the automotive industry

The renowned French automotive supplier Snop plans to source CO₂-reduced steel from thyssenkrupp Steel for selected components in the future. A corresponding memorandum of understanding was signed by both cooperation partners at the end of 2022, and is now being put into practice.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the supply of more environmentally friendly steel is the latest result of an intensive cooperation between thyssenkrupp Steel and Snop that has been in place for many years already. The French supplier sources various materials from the thyssenkrupp Steel plant in Duisburg and uses them for many international customers in the automotive sector. The focus is on cold-rolled, surface-coated grades and MBW^® manganese-boron steels for hot forming. When selecting materials, OEMs are increasing placing emphasis on material solutions with an improved life cycle assessment.

The concept of high-quality flat steel with reduced CO₂ intensity is thus also currently gaining momentum in many processing industries. Consequently, it has also aroused marked interest among those in positions of responsibility at Snop. "The whole automotive industry is looking at emissions reduction right now. Snop has taken an active role and sees an opportunity here to secure the long-term supply of climate-friendly steel for OEMs to a certain extent," explains Hervé Daenens, VP Operations at Snop.

Business with high voltage.

R&S Group – leading supplier of energy products from Switzerland

The R&S Group is ushering in the chapter of sustainable climate steels in transformer construction with bluemint^® powercore^®, the CO₂-reduced electrical steel, from thyssenkrupp Electrical Steel.

The first transformers containing bluemint^® powercore^® electrical steel were built at R&S in early 2023 by the subsidiary Rauscher & Stoecklin. The strategically important lighthouse project demonstrates the positive leverage effect that can be applied within production processes for their own carbon footprint if sustainable climate steel is used in plant construction instead of conventional materials.

The emission savings in transformer production are made possible because bluemint^® powercore^® is not only a material that offers low losses in use, but also low CO₂ in production.

The CO₂ intensity of bluemint^® powercore^® is 50 percent less than conventional grain-oriented electrical steel. Specifically, thyssenkrupp Electrical Steel processes CO₂-reduced hot strip from thyssenkrupp Steel into bluemint^® powercore^® in both Gelsenkirchen (Germany) and Isbergues (France). And it does so in the highest technological grades currently available – the top grades – and as the only company at all to do so in Europe. For the R&S Group, this regional factor should not be underestimated: "Global supply chains have come under significant pressure in recent years. Having a reliable supplier in Europe with thyssenkrupp Electrical Steel is a big advantage for us," says Mirco Gisin, head of the Transformers profit center at Rauscher & Stoecklin.

Tinplate hobbocks made of bluemint^®.

Sika GmbH relies on sustainable packaging steel from thyssenkrupp Rasselstein

From now on, only CO₂-reduced packaging steel will be used for Sika's tinplate hobbocks. This is a result of the successful cooperation between Germany's only tinplate manufacturer thyssenkrupp Rasselstein from Andernach, metal packaging manufacturer Muhr & Söhne from Attendorn and Sika, the international specialty chemicals company based in Stuttgart.

"In the production of the new bluemint^® packaging steels we are clearly focusing on CO₂ reduction: by using biomethane and a specially processed steel scrap we can save up to 69 percent of our CO₂ emissions," explains Clarissa Odewald, CEO of thyssenkrupp Rasselstein, "making packaging steel even more sustainable."

The innovative bluemint^® Steel is processed by Muhr & Söhne into the tinplate hobbocks. Managing Director Klaus Wilmes: "We are consistently committed to preserving the natural basis of life for future generations. Thanks to a patented design, we produce tinplate containers with significantly reduced material consumption and comparatively high performance." Daniela Schmiedle, Managing Director of Sika Deutschland AG adds about the joint project: "The cooperation is entirely in the context of sustainable packaging and is to be seen in connection with the realization of our company's net-zero targets."

Building sustainably and beautifully.

Heinrich Schütt KG GmbH & Co. – the steel trading and processing specialist

A current project at the steel trading company Heinrich Schütt demonstrates: bluemint^® pladur^® is no material like any other. The diverse selection of surfaces is greatly beloved by architects for their planning and design of buildings. However, it is not only the appearance but also the technical characteristics that win their hearts: the CO₂-reduced material is ideal for sustainable building projects.

pladur^® offers impressive economy, functionality, workability, sustainability and, of course, surfaces. Now it is also available in the CO₂-reduced bluemint^® variant – and is already being used by the Heinrich Schütt company as a commercial facade solution. bluemint^® pladur^® from thyssenkrupp Steel now covers a wall area of around 7000 square meters.

Heinrich Schütt receives the processed input stock as trapezoidal sections via the specialized supplier Wurzer Profiltechnik. "We know pladur^® from the field of surface finishing. What really appealed to us was the corrosion resistance as well as its good formability and resilience against outdoor weathering. Ideal for the facade," explains Thomas Naydowski, Managing Director of the steel trading company Heinrich Schütt. "With bluemint^® pladur^®, we are making a contribution to sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint by around 70 percent – and at the same time achieving real savings in CO₂ emissions from steelmaking at the Duisburg location. So, our decision could not have been clearer."

The right twist for fruit spreads.

Pano Verschluss GmbH - Specialists from Itzehoe

Zentis is the first jam manufacturer to use reduced-CO₂ rasselstein^® tin plate made of bluemint^® Steel from closure specialist Pano Verschluss. With immediate effect, the renowned food manufacturer is using the climate-friendly material for the twist-off closures of its high-quality "NaturRein" fruit spreads. The "NaturRein" concept is the first assortment from Zentis certified to be climate-neutral, and is based entirely on the idea of sustainability – both in the product itself and in the packaging.

"When it comes to climate protection, one factor is particularly important: smart collaboration on all levels," says Oliver Böcker, overall brand manager at Zentis. "We have strong and expert partners at our side with the companies Pano and thyssenkrupp Rasselstein. The cooperation is an essential step in terms of climate protection – and entirely in line with our ambitious sustainability strategy."

"Using rasselstein^® tin plate made from bluemint^® Steel can save up to 69 percent CO₂," says Clarissa Odewald, CEO of thyssenkrupp Rasselstein. "The real CO₂ savings can help customers and their clients in turn to achieve their Scope 3 target. And all this without carbon offsetting, but only through alternative input materials in the steelmaking process. This primarily decreases the use of coal for the reduction process in the blast furnace."

"There has been a great and positive response from the market to this sustainability initiative from Zentis," says a delighted Thomas Stock, Managing Director of the twist-off cap manufacturer Pano Verschluss. "Produced from bluemint^® tin plate, the PVC-free Blueseal^® cap is a wonderful match for the Zentis product!"

Low-CO₂ steel picks up speed.

Accuride Corporation – manufacturer of steel truck wheels from Solingen, Germany

As one of the pioneers in the industry, Accuride is exploring the opportunities of green steel: At the IAA Transportation exhibition, the manufacturer presented a truck wheel with input stock made entirely from reduced-CO₂ bluemint^® Steel from thyssenkrupp Steel. "By using bluemint^® Steel, we can save around two-thirds of the greenhouse gas emissions in wheel production compared with conventional steel – and even up to 90 percent compared with aluminum wheels," explains Dr. Andreas Strecker, President Accuride Wheels Europe & Asia.

Accuride achieves an additional sustainability benefit through the material concept developed together with development partner thyssenkrupp Steel: A steel with a higher strength is used, which features a smaller plate thickness with the same performance. This weight reduction effect enables a weight saving compared with a conventional wheel steel, resulting in lower fuel consumption in the utilization phase.

The result: Over the full life cycle, which averages around 1.2 million kilometers, CO₂ emissions can be reduced by over ten percent compared with a conventional wheel. "This means that a bluemint^® wheel weighing 32 kilograms is better than significantly lighter forged aluminum wheels of the same size," reports Andreas Strecker. For trucks or commercial vehicles with lower mileages, such as refuse collection vehicles or concrete mixers, the advantage of bluemint^® Steel is even greater, he says. Andreas Strecker: "This is a significant step toward greater sustainability in the commercial vehicle industry."

Climate protection can be done.

Hoffmann Neopac AG – Packaging specialist from Thun (Switzerland)

thyssenkrupp Rasselstein, together with the Swiss companies Hoffmann Neopac and Ricola, launched the world's first food can made from CO₂-reduced bluemint^® Steel in the spring.

Environmentally friendly materials are in high demand in the packaging industry. With its recyclable cans and tubes, the Swiss company Hoffmann Neopac is one of the industry's multiple award-winning pioneers. "Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. We produce our cans in Switzerland with 100 percent renewable electricity, while working on our own decarbonization program," says Mark Aegler, CEO of Hoffmann Neopac.

The use of bluemint^® Steel is part of this. In a joint project, thyssenkrupp Rasselstein is supplying the CO₂-reduced packaging steel, while Hoffmann Neopac is producing and printing the cans using solar power.

Among the buyers is the Swiss herbal candy manufacturer Ricola. "It was important for us to make the packaging of our herbal candies more sustainable. That's why we are the first company in our market to use CO₂-reduced food cans," says Dr. Martin Messerli, Chief Operating Officer of Ricola. The company has already been producing with electricity generated from hydroelectric power since 2016. From the Ricola Group's point of view, the next logical step was to optimize the supply chain and the packaging of the herbal candies. "By switching to a CO₂-reduced can for our herbal candy specialties, Ricola is also responding to increased demand from consumers, who are paying more attention to the carbon footprint of their purchases," says Messerli.

CO₂ reduction on the running electric steel strip.

SGB-SMIT – Transformer specialist from Regensburg

The first customer to receive bluemint^® powercore^® with a 50% lower CO₂ intensity is SGB-SMIT from Regensburg. The transformer manufacturer uses the CO₂-reduced steel in distribution transformers for new digital stations operated by the energy specialist E.ON. SGB-SMIT is thus supporting the development of a decentralized supply network in which the share of wind power, photovoltaic and biogas plants is steadily increasing. "For us, it represents a great added value that the top grades of thyssenkrupp Steel are now also CO₂-reduced. This is an important step towards further decarbonization of the energy process chain," says Managing Director Holger Ketterer. In order to effectively reduce CO₂, the medium-sized company has set itself two goals: to continuously reduce energy losses in the utilization phase of the transformers and to cut the carbon footprint of the transformers themselves.

Holger Ketterer continues: "With the first goal, the energy transition is dealing us a good hand. The more renewable energies are used, the lower the CO₂ emissions from energy losses. That's why our focus is already clearly on the climate impact of the materials we use."

E.ON also sees great potential in the more climate-friendly version of its well-known and proven products. "We are committed to a sustainable energy world for tomorrow – so it makes a big difference in the overall assessment of a plant if a substation or green power station also has transformers with CO₂-reduced electrical steel," says Achim Hübner, International Category Lead for transformers at E.ON.

Transformers play a central role in the energy transition, as they ensure the conversion and transmission of green electricity. To ensure that this happens with as little loss as possible, high-tech steels are used in the transformers, or more precisely: highly efficient grain oriented electrical steel of the powercore^® brand from thyssenkrupp Steel.

The bathroom with a clean carbon footprint.

Franz Kaldewei GmbH & Co. KG – Ahlen-based premium bathroom solution provider

In October 2021, CEO Franz Kaldewei personally ordered the first delivery of bluemint^® Steel. Among other things, Kaldewei uses the material in the limited "Kaldewei nature protect" product series, which, in addition to attractive bathtubs, shower trays and washbasin bowls, also provides customers with a certificate showing the CO₂ savings compared to standard products.

The manufacturer of bathroom articles made of recyclable enameled steel is doing everything in its power to safeguard future generations, and is placing even greater focus on sustainability. In summer 2021, Kaldewei became the first company in the sanitary industry to join the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTI), and has since been working to reduce its own carbon footprint in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.

Christian Graap, Technical Managing Director at Kaldewei, sees the greatest lever on the path to climate neutrality in the conversion of the primary material to green steel. "Steel is the optimum material for us because of its robustness, its good formability and, not least, its recyclability. However, its coal-based production is reflected in the CO₂ balance of our own products. This changes with bluemint^® Steel. Its use is an important step toward achieving our own climate goals."

The Managing Director of Kaldewei, Franz Kaldewei, adds: "bluemint^® Steel gives us the certainty that we are already using the highest quality steel with a lower CO₂ intensity for the production of our enameled steel bathroom products. This is an important step towards achieving our climate targets. With the new bluemint^® Steel from thyssenkrupp Steel, we are overcoming a major hurdle on the way to Kaldewei's climate-neutral alignment.