The direct reduction plant is a shaft furnace that operates on natural gas or hydrogen, and therefore does not require coal. At about 1,000 degrees Celsius, oxygen is removed from the iron ore, and direct reduced sponge iron (DRI) is produced. While still hot, the DRI is further processed into liquid hot metal in electrical power-operated melters. Positioning the two melters immediately adjacent to the direct reduction plant allows the solid input stock produced there to be converted into molten hot metal immediately; this makes the entire process particularly efficient. The plant with the two melters will be optimally integrated into the surrounding steelworks infrastructure.
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With the first direct reduction plant alone, we can save up to 3.5 million metric tons of CO2 in pure hydrogen operation. This corresponds to just under 5% of emissions in the Ruhr region, or around 2% of emissions in North Rhine-Westphalia. When the plant is scheduled to go into operation in 2027, green hydrogen will not yet be available in sufficient quantities. It is therefore all the more important that the direct reduction plant can also be commissioned with natural gas, enabling the use of blue hydrogen as a bridging technology. At the same time, thyssenkrupp Steel is also investing in the decarbonization of further production stages, i.e. in the decarbonizing of the steel mills and downstream operations. In other words: the bridge to a carbon-neutral future is in place.
A new landmark for the green powerhouse of Europe
The new direct reduction plant is an outstanding investment in two senses: as a milestone for the decarbonization of steel which, when it is completed will represent a landmark and an emblem for the decarbonization of the industrial center of Europe, as well as for the future of the Rhine-Ruhr region which should serve as a model for the hydrogen economy.
In spring 2023, thyssenkrupp Steel had already awarded the engineering, supply and construction contracts to the plant builder SMS group from North Rhine-Westphalia. The construction of the plants and equipment alone will create more than 400 new jobs. We report on the progress of construction work on an ongoing basis, and seek active dialog with local residents.
Contact
Mark Stagge
Head of Public & Media Relations, thyssenkrupp Steel Europe
Roswitha Becker
Press spokesperson, thyssenkrupp Steel Europe
