Steel crisis in Bremen: Mayor Bovenschulte is pissed off!

Steel crisis in Bremen: Mayor Bovenschulte is pissed off!

In Bremen, the signs are on storm: More than 1,000 employees of the Arcelormittal steel mill today protested against the company's decision to stop the planned switch to environmentally friendly hydrogen production. Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte, who supported the demonstration, commented "deeply disappointed and pissed off" about this decision, which is considered a massive setback for the Bremen business location and the jobs there. He called for a clear commitment to the steel industry from Bremen and the German politics to secure the future of the hut. "We have to do everything we can to get jobs and create a sustainable economic perspective," emphasized Bovenschulte. Spiegel worries.

The reasons for the cancellation of the billion -dollar project are obvious. ArcelorMittal refers to "lack of economy and low availability of hydrogen", which makes the necessary change from coal to hydrogen, which is obtained from renewable energies. According to Tagesschau , the contract for funding has already been signed, which included a total of 1.3 billion euros from the federal government and the state of Bremen. For the decision not to take this opportunity, the company states that the high energy costs and the competition with cheaper providers from China are burdening the industry. The prospect of reaching CO2 reduction goals by 2030 also appears to them as not very realistic.

hydrogen and steel production

The use of hydrogen for steel production is considered forward -looking. However, due to the current market situation, the question arises whether this approach is actually sustainable for ArcelorMittal. Traditional steel production is mainly via the blast furnace route, while the electrical duct process (EAF) is increasingly regarded as a sustainable alternative. Here, scrap is melted into electric laying stoves, which leads to significantly lower CO2 emissions. Swiss Steel Group emphasizes that the use of 100% green electricity and the use of the EAF procedure can be optimized and natural resources can be protected.

What future does the steel industry have in Germany, which is known to be one of the leading production locations in the EU? The Bremen Senate and Brandenburg's Prime Minister have announced that they are strongly committed to maintaining jobs. However, the path of steel production is rocky. Up to 88,000 people in Germany are employed in this industry, which is one of the largest CO2 emitters in the country.

The decision of ArcelorMittal to cancel the changeover is therefore of enormous importance not only for the employees, but also for the entire industry. The companies are required to continue to find innovative solutions in order to meet the challenges of the market and the climatic requirements. It remains to be seen whether alternatives such as the electrical light arch process or the promotion of hydrogen projects in other companies can offer real perspectives. The discussion about the future of steel production in Germany will surely continue to intensify.