(Duisburg) – The oil multinational BP and the steel group Thyssenkrupp Steel Europa AG want to promote the conversion of steel production to renewable energies and low-carbon hydrogen. The companies check their own 
According to information, “the possibilities of supplying blue and green hydrogen as well as electricity from wind and solar energy in the form of power purchase agreements”. As part of a declaration of intent that has now been signed, they also intend to work together “to promote political measures to promote the development of low-carbon hydrogen and green steel in Europe,” which is not specified in more detail.
According to Thyssenkrupp Steel, steel causes eight to eleven percent of global CO2 emissions. The company itself causes around 2,5 percent of CO2 emissions in Germany, mainly at the Duisburg location. The main emitters are the coal-fired blast furnaces there. By switching to direct reduction plants, in which iron ore is reduced with low-carbon hydrogen, Thyssenkrupp intends to “make steel production climate-neutral in the future.” The company aims to produce climate-neutrally by 2045. Low-carbon electricity and hydrogen would play a crucial role.
The steel and energy industries are traditionally linked
William Lin, BP's Executive Vice President Regions, Cities and Solutions, sees traditionally close connections between the steel and energy industries: "We supply fuel and feedstock to the steel industry, and our drilling rigs, pipelines and turbines are made of steel." BP is already investing in a portfolio of industrial-scale hydrogen projects in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Great Britain and Australia. The company wants to promote the production of green hydrogen primarily in its refineries in Lingen/Germany, Rotterdam/Netherlands and Castellón/Spain.
Arnd Köfler, Chief Technology Officer of Thyssenkrupp Steel, sees the agreement as an “important milestone for us in setting the course for a reliable energy supply in the future.” “Enormous amounts of low-carbon and, in the future, green hydrogen” would be needed to decarbonize the steel industry. To achieve this, electricity from renewable energies must be used to an increasing extent. “This can only be guaranteed through a well-developed hydrogen infrastructure with a supra-regional pipeline network.”
Green steel from 2025
Thyssenkrupp Steel currently produces eleven million tons of crude steel per year. By 2025, 400.000 tons of CO2-reduced steel are to be produced. The competitor Salzgitter AG reports a total volume of a good 2021 million tons in its 6,7 annual report. The group from Lower Saxony works in its SALCOS The aforementioned projects are also working on producing crude steel using green hydrogen and direct reduction in the future. The most recent date mentioned as the start of production was “end of 2025”.
According to the Worldsteel Association, 2021 billion tons of steel were produced worldwide in 1,95, led by China with almost 1,04 billion tons. India (118 million tons), Japan (96 million tons) and the USA (85 million tons) follow far behind. Production in Germany was 40 million tons last year.
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Flat steel from Thyssenkrupp Steel. © Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG
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Pig iron production and tapping process at the Thyssenkrupp blast furnace in Duisburg. © Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG
