(Bremen) – The steel group ArcelorMittal plans to reduce its CO2 emissions in Europe by 2030 percent by 30 and to produce climate-neutrally by 2050. To achieve this, the company wants to use “smart carbon” technologies in the blast furnace process on the one hand and, on the other hand, use direct reduction of iron ore (DRI) in combination with an electric arc furnace.
In Germany, the group operates a factory in Hamburg with a DRI system and electric arc furnace, where the conversion to the use of hydrogen is being prepared. The two blast furnaces in Bremen and Eisenhüttenstadt will be converted this year in order to blow in natural gas in 2021. This means that CO2 emissions are already falling. The group then wants to build DRI systems at both locations. In Bremen, ArcelorMittal wants to use hydrogen after natural gas, which will become available as part of the regional northern German network Clean Hydrogen Coastline.
Using green hydrogen, up to 3,5 million tons of steel could then be produced with significantly fewer CO2 emissions, the company explains. Depending on the amount of hydrogen available, CO2 savings of more than five million tons are possible compared to the current blast furnace route. The change in technology requires investments amounting to an unspecified billions and causes higher production costs.
First natural gas, then hydrogen
Until the regional hydrogen cluster in East Brandenburg can also sufficiently supply the Eisenhüttenstadt site, additional hydrogen required will be produced from natural gas in the transition phase using a pyrolysis plant that will be built on the factory premises. Both locations are to be integrated into the European hydrogen network in the long term via the regional hydrogen networks.
ArcelorMittal SA emerged in 2007 from the Dutch Mittal Steel Company and the Luxembourg group Arcelor. The company is based in Luxembourg and operations are managed from London. According to the information, the crude steel production volume in Germany is around eight million tons. The company employs around 9.000 people and operates, among other things, four large production sites in Germany: two flat steel plants in Bremen and Eisenhüttenstadt and two long steel plants in Hamburg and Duisburg. In 2020, ArcelorMittal had global sales of $53,3 billion and produced 71,5 million tons of crude steel and 58 million tons of iron ore.
Photos
ArcelorMittal factory in Bremen / © ArcelorMittal Germany Holding GmbH
