Erfurt starts hydrogen revolution: Gigafactory for green steel production!

Erfurt starts hydrogen revolution: Gigafactory for green steel production!

Salzgitter, Deutschland - What moves steel production in northern Germany? An exciting chapter is currently being opened by Salzgitter AG, which with its new hydrogen system takes an important step towards climate -neutral steel production. The company plans to significantly reduce its CO₂ emissions by means of a 100-megawatt hydrogen system that is closely linked to the progress in the area of ​​green hydrogen. Marketsteel reports that Salzgitter AG successfully completed the hydrogen project "Grinhy2.0" together with Sunfire.

As part of this project, almost 100 tons of green hydrogen have been used in various steel finishing systems. This hydrogen has established itself as a key to climate protection and the decarbonization of industry, and steel production should in future rely entirely on this environmentally friendly raw material.

innovative approaches in steel production

The innovative approach to Salzgitter means that the use of electrolysers for the production of hydrogen is integrated directly into production. This technology significantly reduces the need for fossil fuels and could enable 26 percent decrease in CO₂ emissions by 2025. In order to achieve such high goals, however, the availability and economy of green hydrogen are crucial. These challenges were examined in more detail in the course of the project and important knowledge gained.

Another look at the steel industry shows that around 20% of greenhouse gas emissions come from industry in Germany, with the steel industry having a significant part in the coal. BDEW emphasizes that hydrogen as a reducing agent in the blast furnace process can make a decisive contribution to reducing the CO₂ emissions. At the same time, competitors such as Thyssenkrupp have also found paths to use innovative technologies such as carbon2chem technology to convert cottage gases into usable raw materials.

The way to a green future

Salzgitter AG underlines their ambitions through close cooperation with partners such as Andritz, who produce the required electrolysers. The new Gigafactory in Erfurt, which was recently opened, enables an initial production capacity of around 1 gigawatt, and thus offers a solid basis for the required electrolysers to implement the hydrogen strategy. Regionalheute indicates that the flexible high scaling of production is a decisive advantage.